Even though Abbott Laboratories restarted production at its factory in Sturgis, Michigan on Saturday, baby formula will be difficult to come by for the next month or so, according to a new study.
“This is a great day for families in America,” said Abbott, adding that the Michigan facility will begin with the production of “specialty and metabolic formulations” and the initial EleCare product release to customers starting on or about June 20.
After focusing on specialty formulas, the company will start producing Similac formula and other regular goods “several weeks later,” according to the Walls Street Journal, which cited a person familiar with the situation.
Part of Abbott’s comment reads:
“As a family-owned business, we care about the safety and well-being of our consumers. We will increase production as fast as possible while satisfying all criteria. We are dedicated to quality and safety, and we will do everything feasible to regain the confidence that parents, caregivers, and health care providers have put in us for 130 years.”
On Feb 17, Abbott said it had started a voluntary recall of its formula products, including EleCare, Similac, and Alimentum, after consumer complaints that four babies who had eaten items produced at the factory got bacterial infections. According to a May 16 news release from Abbott, the CDC did not find a link between the bacterial infections and Sturgis location.
While the shortage in production would have consequences for one of the nations’ most vulnerable populations, a person in the Biden White House claims that President Joe Biden was not told of the crisis until April, as Breitbart News reported.
National shortages have been a reality for many during the coronavirus pandemic as supply chains have been disrupted and factories closed.
The Sturgis factory shutdown meant that about 35 percent of the U.S. market for baby formula was impacted, according to the WSJ.
While some parents may be able to find other brands of formula, others who require special blends for health reasons will face significant challenges, said Dr. Jennifer Lighter Herzog, a neonatologist at NYU Langone Health.”
