A dire lack of baby formula in the United States in the past few weeks has been blamed on production deficiencies such as the small number of manufacturers and an inflexible supply chain.

But Christina Jewett, an investigative reporter at The Times, has traced it back further, to deadly bacteria whose detection set off a chain of events that ultimately led to the shortage.

Guest: Christina Jewett, an investigative reporter who covers the Food and Drug Administration for The New York Times.

Want more from The Daily? For one big idea on the news each week from our team, subscribe to our newsletter. 

Background reading: 

• While most recent attention has been focused on fixing the supply shortfall, regulators are confronting deeper issues of safety that persist in formula manufacturing.
• Baby formula supplies from Europe have been shipped to the United States to address the shortage, though it may take weeks for supermarket shelves to be fully stocked again.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.