The Abbott baby formula plant reopened in Sturgis, Michigan four months after it was shut down by the FDA due to a deadly bacteria contamination.
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Abbott reopened the factory plant on Satuday, weeks after it met the requirements of the FDA. The factory plant is the largest in the United States and it will restart production of specialty and metabolic baby formulas and products are expected to return back to store shelves within the next three weeks. The company said in a statement that all other formulas will resume production and it will take six to eight weeks before stores receive them.
‘We will ramp production as quickly as we can while meeting all requirements. We understand the urgent need for formula and our top priority is getting high-quality, safe formula into the hands of families across America. We’re committed to safety and quality and will do everything we can to re-earn the trust parents, caregivers and health care providers have placed in us for 130 years,‘ a company statement reads.
Previously, the plant was closed due to bacterial contamination and caused the deaths of two infants who consumed the formula.
“Abbott has been working on corrective actions since the FDA inspection and submitted a response and corrective action plan to FDA on April 8. Even before its formal response, Abbott had begun working to implement improvements and take corrective action. Some of these actions included reviewing and updating education, training and safety procedures for both employees and visitors, as well as updating protocols regarding water, cleaning and maintenance procedures at the facility. Abbott immediately implemented corrections to address the items that the FDA raised in its observations provided at the conclusion of the inspection. The company has also been making upgrades to the plant.”
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The factory closing triggers a nationwide baby formula shortage as parents were figuring out ways to provide adequate nutrition for their infants. According to the Daily Mail, the Biden administration announced Friday it will import 1.3 million cans of Gerber baby formula from Mexico. Nestle said it will send 33 million, 8-ounce bottles of Gerber Good Start general formula from their factory plant in Mexico within the first week of July.
As previously reported, President Biden announced last month that he will invoke the Defense Production Act to speed up baby formula production from overseas.
After Biden signed the act into place, two shipments from Europe delivered 1.5 million, 8-ounce bottles of formula. United Airlines also agreed to fly shipments of UK-based brand Kendamil for free and is expected to deliver the third shipment of 3.2. million, 8-ounce bottles of Kendamil Classic Stage 1 and 540,000 8-ounce bottle equivalents of Kendamil Organic.
Baby formula will also be shipped from Australia with the fourth shipment containing 4.6 million, 8-ounce bottles and will arrive in Pennsylvania and California next week.