FDA + Abbott Reach Deal to Resume Baby Formula Production in Sturgis, Michigan

The country's baby formula woes may soon be coming to an end as the Food and Drug Administration will once again green light baby formula production at Abbott's manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Michigan.

Production to Resume Within Two Weeks

Abbott Laboratories indicates that once it confirms to the FDA that initial requirements have been met, baby formula production should be able to resume within a couple of weeks.

Robert Ford is the chief executive officer for Abbott Laboratories. He says the agreement should go a long way toward easing the nation's ongoing shortage.

“This is a major step toward re-opening our Sturgis facility so we can ease the nationwide formula shortage," Ford says. "We look forward to working with the FDA to quickly and safely re-open the facility.”

Shortages Began Almost Immediately

The FDA started investigating Abbott's Michigan facility after complaints that infants that had been given the formula had begun contracting bacterial infections. Abbott then recalled Similac and other baby formulas which had been manufactured in the Michigan plant.

Baby formula production at the company's Stugis facility was shuttered in February. The shutdown exacerbated supply chain issues that were already causing nationwide baby formula shortages. Many retailers have since begun limiting quantities that can be sold and many parents have been left scrambling to find enough product to feed their infants.

Corrective Action to be Taken

The agreement reached with the FDA will require Abbott to institute a strict sanitation plan and seek help from an outside expert to review its operational procedures.