Production Resumes at Baby Formula Plant Linked to National Shortage

Production of baby formula has restarted at Abbott Laboratories' manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Michigan, after meeting initial government sanitary requirements. 

The plant has been closed since February after complaints of illnesses in infants who consumed several brands of powdered formula manufactured there, two of whom later died. Abbott has denied that the plant was responsible for the illnesses, saying the bacteria found in the plant did not match the samples from the ill infants. The plant's closure has been linked by reports across the political spectrum to a subsequent nationwide shortage of baby formula.

Abbott will first produce EleCare and other metabolic and specialty formulas that will be available to consumers as early as June 20. Production of Similac and other formulas will restart as soon as possible, according to Abbott.

Coupled with global supply chain issues, the plant's closure led to acute shortages, and also to scrutiny of why the FDA took more than three months to clear Abbott to resume production.  Parents have been left seeking supplies from friends, doctors, food banks, and social media. Last month, President Joe Biden ordered the Defense Department to fly in shipments of baby formula from overseas, and invoked the Defense Production Act to boost domestic production.