The owner of an important baby formula manufacturing plant announced on Wednesday, May 11, that it is looking to restart its facility in as little as two weeks. It won't help address the supply shortage immediately, though, as Abbott said it would take between six to eight weeks to get baby formula products back on store shelves again once production gets going.
The shutdown of the plant, which is located in Sturgis, Michigan and owned by Abbott Laboratories has prompted a severe shortage of infant formulas in the American market, including Alimentum, EleCare, and Similac.
The facility was shut down back in February pending a federal investigation into the deaths of two infants and reports of illnesses among other kids who consumed certain baby formula products of Abbott. Their facility remains closed at this time, according to a report by NBC News.
Sturgis, Michigan plant to restart within a couple of weeks
Abbott said in a statement that subject to Food and Drug Administration approval, the company could restart its Sturgis plant "within two weeks." Abbott made it clear, however, that production will take some time, saying "from the time it brings the facility back online, it would take six to eight weeks before product makes it to store shelves."
Abbott added that they would begin production of Alimentum, EleCare, and metabolic formulas first and then begin production of Similac and other formulas. The impending reopening of Abbott's Michigan plant is timely given the worsening baby formula shortage in the United States.
According to data from retail research group Datasembly, as much as 43 percent of normal supplies of baby formula were out of stock in grocery stores across the United States in the first week of May. The baby formula shortage has led to calls for Washington to act.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a statement on Tuesday, saying it was expediting import documentation from product overseas to get formula in more swiftly. The FDA also said that it was granting case-by-case waivers to allow the sale of "life-sustaining supplies" of specialty and metabolic formulas to interested parents.
Abbott says plant is safe and was not responsible for bacteria that killed two infants
Abbott made an announcement on Wednesday, May 11, saying that there was no evidence linking its formulas to the illnesses of the infants. Although at least one pathogen linked to the young children's illnesses, Cronobacter sakazakii, was found in environmental testing as part of the investigation of the FDA, it was detected in "nonproduct contact areas of the facility and has not been linked to any known infant illness," according to the agency.
The baby formula maker said that the state, the FDA and/or CDC tested samples of the Abbott formula that was used by the child in all four cases. According to the Daily Mail, Abbott said that all unopened containers tested negative in all four cases.
