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Abbott Laboratories, one of the largest formula manufacturers in the U.S. is reopening the doors to its Michigan plant nearly four months after shutting down due to a baby formula contamination, which fueled the nationwide shortage of formula. The Chicago based company is the maker of many well known brands including Similac, Pedialyte, Alimentum, and Elecare.
The company shut its doors in February, following a bacterial contamination found in its formula products. The shutdown caused a national shortage, leaving store shelves empty, and parents scavenging for baby formula. In an effort to alleviate the shortage, the Biden-Harris Administration facilitated air shipments of approximately 4.6 million 8 ounce bottles from Europe.
Abbott released a statement addressing the shortage, ensuring consumers they’re working diligently to place high-quality and safe formula into the hands of families across America. “We understand the urgent need for formula. We will ramp production as quickly as we can while meeting all requirements. 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.”
“Since the recall, one of our priorities has been to mitigate the supply issues. In particular we’ve been focusing on production in our Cootehill, Ireland, facility to serve the state Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) consumers. Abbott has been working with the USDA and WIC agencies and paying rebates on competitive products in states where Abbott holds the WIC contract, when Similac is not available. Abbott will continue to pay rebates for competitive products through August 31. This means program participants will continue to be able to obtain formulas, free of charge whether it is Similac or formula from another manufacturer. We know that the recall has worsened the industry-wide infant formula shortage, and we have been working to get as much product into the hands of parents as we can,” reads another statement from Abbott Laboratories.
After meeting FDA requirements, Abbott was cleared to start production of Elecare and other speciality metabolic formulas, which will be available for purchase as early as Monday, June 20.
