Article

2022-06-05 Economy

Abbott restarts baby formula plant linked to national shortage

[DetroitNews] Abbott Nutrition has restarted production at the Michigan baby formula factory that has been closed for months due to contamination, the company said Saturday, taking a step toward easing a nationwide supply shortage expected to persist into the summer.

The February shutdown of the largest formula factory in the country led to the supply problems that have forced some parents to seek formula from food banks, friends and doctor's offices.

Abbott said it initially will prioritize production of its EleCare specialty formulas for infants with severe food allergies and digestive problems who have few other options for nutrition. The company said it will take about three weeks before new formula from the plant begins getting to consumers.

“We will ramp production as quickly as we can while meeting all requirements,” Abbott said in a statement.

The plant’s reopening is one of several federal actions that are expected to improve supplies in the weeks ahead. President Joe Biden’s administration has eased import rules for foreign manufacturers, airlifted formula from Europe and invoked federal emergency rules to prioritize U.S. production.

Abbott closed the Sturgis, Michigan, factory in February after the Food and Drug Administration began investigating four bacterial infections among infants who consumed powdered formula from the plant. Two of the babies died. The company continues to state that its products have not been directly linked to the infections, which involved different bacterial strains.

FDA inspectors eventually uncovered a host of violations at the plant, including bacterial contamination, a leaky roof and lax safety protocols. The FDA has faced intense scrutiny for taking months to close the plant and then negotiate its reopening. Agency leaders recently told Congress they had to enter a legally binding agreement with Abbott to assure all the problems were fixed.

Abbott’s February recall of several leading brands, including Similac, squeezed supplies that had already been strained by supply chain disruptions and stockpiling during COVID-19 shutdowns.

The shortage has been most dire for children with allergies, digestive problems and metabolic disorders who rely on specialty formulas. The Abbott factory is the only source of many of those products, providing nutrition to about 5,000 U.S. babies, according to federal officials.

Abbott is one of just four companies that produce about 90% of U.S. formula. The company’s recalls and shutdown triggered a cascade of effects: Retailers have limited customer purchasing to conserve supplies and parents have been told to switch brands to whatever formula is in stock.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf recently told lawmakers it could be about two months before formula supplies return to normal levels. The agency has waived many of its regulatory requirements to accept more formula from the United Kingdom, Australia and other nations.

U.S. manufacturers, including Reckitt and Gerber, have also stepped up production, running plants 24/7 and sourcing more formula from alternate facilities.

Posted by Bubba Lover of the Faeries8843 2022-06-05 00:00|| || Front Page|| [14 views ] Top

#1 Abbott puts this info out on a Saturday, one day after the US Inspector General announces an investigation into the FDA's role in the crisis. Sounds like the FDA's Califf called the Abbott CEO begging for Abbott to start up immediately this weekend.

Posted by Black Charlie Slairt1430 2022-06-05 00:12|| 2022-06-05 00:12|| Front Page Top

#2 Abbott has been saying they would restart production in early June, and here we are. The only odd thing is that they started the lines up on a Saturday.

Posted by trailing wife 2022-06-05 00:34|| 2022-06-05 00:34|| Front Page Top

#3 Plenty of fentanyl, abortion pills, kiddie COVID masks, JABS, and 'medical' marijuana, but no baby formula. Strange, very strange.

Posted by Besoeker 2022-06-05 02:59|| 2022-06-05 02:59|| Front Page Top

#4
Besoeker - You may have hit on a solution to the problem.

Make Baby Formula Illegal, and it will be plentiful supply, at least during this administration.

Then states can decriminalize it to a mandatory Phone call and $1 fine if caught.

Posted by NN2N1 2022-06-05 07:18|| 2022-06-05 07:18|| Front Page Top

#5 Man! How bad did the polling have to be for the FDA bureaucrats to cave?

Posted by Tom 2022-06-05 08:52|| 2022-06-05 08:52|| Front Page Top

#6 Makes you wonder if the Abbott people got a call from the Puppet Show/Jill directly?
This continuing PR nightmare is hugely damaging to the remaining meager credibility that remains to their control of power.

The Faustian Bargain between Jojo and the Kalorama Cabal always had an exit ejection seat strategy for when he became incapable of taking further political damage as he implemented their agenda of a Watermelon Dream Future (Green outside, deep Red fruit and seeds inside).
So the Puppet Show is seeing the predicate for Jojo's mid-summer departure building, and his own brief glimpses of situational awareness suggest he thinks he actually is the President, and is increasingly going off script and is dangerously unfocused on actual issues. A lifetime of learned soundbites from the past often are inconsistent with reality, especially if mangled in Biden Word-Salad. Biden Inc is approaching its Planned Parenthood Moment.

Posted by NoMoreBS 2022-06-05 12:54|| 2022-06-05 12:54|| Front Page Top

#7 Kalorama nonsense is QAnon for people who should know better.

Posted by M. Murcek 2022-06-05 13:36|| 2022-06-05 13:36|| Front Page Top

22:35 trailing wife
22:33 swksvolFF
22:09 NoMoreBS
21:32 M. Murcek
21:23 Hyper
21:16 M. Murcek
20:44 Gleremble+Bucket3559
20:41 Gleremble+Bucket3559
20:40 M. Murcek
20:36 Gleremble+Bucket3559
20:34 Phung Snusorong8115
19:56 Phung Snusorong8115
19:36 Frank G
19:27 Airandee
19:23 M. Murcek
19:17 Frank G
18:51 M. Murcek
18:49 M. Murcek
18:36 Skidmark
18:35 Frank G
18:34 Frank G
18:34 Skidmark
17:49 Procopius2k
17:40 Deacon+Blues