Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reached an agreement with Abbott regarding reopening its Sturgis, Michigan, factory, following an earlier shutdown that led to the shortage of infant formula.
Following FDA approval, Abbott may be set to reopen within two weeks. The reopening is hinged on a consent decree between FDA and Abbott plant in Michigan on the steps necessary to resume production and maintain the facility.
In a press statement, the company stated that production would begin with EleCare®, Alimentum®, and metabolic formulas first, followed by Similac® and other formulas. However, it may take six to eight weeks after reopening before these products are available on shelves.
“Our number one priority is getting infants and families the high-quality formulas they need, and this is a major step toward reopening our Sturgis facility so we can ease the nationwide formula shortage. We look forward to working with the FDA to quickly and safely reopen the facility,” said the chairman and CEO of Abbott, Robert B. Ford. “We know millions of parents and caregivers depend on us, and we’re deeply sorry that our voluntary recall worsened the nationwide formula shortage. We will work hard to re-earn the trust that moms, dads, and caregivers have placed in our formulas for more than 50 years.”
The company also stated that they were actively working to implement improvements and take corrective action in the press release.
Source: Abbott Press Release
