Abbott's troubled baby formula factory back in business

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The Abbott Laboratories plant in Michigan, which was at the center of the nation's baby formula crisis, is producing again.

The troubled plant was shutdown in February over contamination and again in June after the facility suffered flooding from a severe storm.

Production of EleCare, a specialty formula for infants with severe food allergies and digestive problems, was restored at Sturgis following a July 1 reboot.

"We are working to restart Similac production as soon as we can. We’ll provide more information when we have it," he said Abbott spokesman John Koval via email.

BABY FORMULA PRODUCTION HALTED AT ABBOTT'S MICHIGAN PLANT DUE TO FLOODING AFTER SEVERE STORMS

Abbott recalled several leading brands of formula in February, including Similac. That squeezed supplies already strained by supply disruptions during COVID-19 shutdowns.

FILE PHOTO: The Abbott Laboratories facility where dozens of recalled types of powdered baby formulas were made leading to production being halted at the location in Sturgis, Michigan, May 20, 2022. REUTERS/Eric Cox/File Photo (REUTERS/Eric Cox/File Photo / Reuters Photos)

The plant was closed in February after the Food and Drug Administration began investigating four bacterial infections among infants who consumed powdered formula from the plant. Two of the babies died.

ABBOTT TO REOPEN MICHIGAN FACILITY ON JUNE 4, PRIORITIZE PRODUCTION OF SPECIALTY FORMULA

The closure of the Sturgis facility exacerbated the industry-wide baby formula shortage. For several months, parents and caregivers scrambled as shelves increasingly became more barren. Meanwhile, retailers were forced to put purchasing limits on the product to try and curtail stockpiling.

Shelves typically stocked with baby formula sit mostly empty at a store in San Antonio, Tuesday, May 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Eric Gay / AP Newsroom)

The Michigan plant went back to producing specialty formulas on June 4, only to close again on June 16 when a storm caused flooding to the facility.

ABBOTT'S MICHIGAN BABY FORMULA PLANT REOPENS: HOW LONG BEFORE PARENTS SEE MORE SUPPLY?

President Biden’s administration has since eased import rules for foreign manufacturers, airlifted formula from Europe and invoked federal emergency rules to prioritize U.S. production.

Yury Navas, 29, of Laurel, Md., kisses her two-month-old baby Jose Ismael Gálvez, at Superbest International Market in Laurel, Md., Monday, May 23, 2022, while looking for formula. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin / AP Newsroom)

Abbott is one of just four companies that produce about 90% of U.S. formula. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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