In previous months, plant closures have contributed to a nationwide shortage of baby milk. During the recent shutdown, Abbott said it halted production of its EleCare to “assess damage caused by the storm and clean and re-sanitize the plant.”
The US Food and Drug Administration said on Friday that “the agency expects the measures and steps it is taking, and the resumption of production at Abbott Nutrition’s facility in Sturgis, Michigan, will mean more and more supplies are on the way or in store the shelves are moving forward.”
Abbott said it will restart production of EleCare, followed by specialty and metabolic formulas, once it reopens.
The plant was previously shut down for months after an FDA inspection found Cronobacter sakazakii bacteria, which can be deadly to babies, in several areas. Similac, Alimentum and EleCare infant formula powders produced at the plant were recalled and the closure exacerbated shortages caused by supply chain disruptions. Families across the United States have struggled for months to find formula for infants and people with special nutritional needs.
Production had been underway for less than two weeks before the shutdown due to the storm.
More than 20 percent of formula products — powder, ready-to-drink and liquid — were sold out in the past month, according to data through July 3 from market research firm Information Resources Incorporated (IRI).
Before Abbott Nutrition’s national recall of formula milk in February, about 10 percent of infant formula products were typically out of stock.
The Biden administration has delivered millions of pounds of powdered formula through Operation Fly Formula, but stocking rates specifically for powdered formula are even worse.
More than 30% of powder formula products were out of stock in the week ending July 3, up slightly from 29% the previous week and 27% the week before that.
CNN’s Jamie Humbrecht and Deidre McPhillips contributed to this report.
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