WASHINGTON (AP) – Criticized by parents and politicians, President Joe Biden is offering transport and logistical support to formula makers and retailers to alleviate the national shortage of infant formula as the administration works to return to work. the largest local plant after it closed earlier this year due to safety issues.
The White House said it was working with all major formula manufacturers to increase production, including contacting their suppliers to encourage them to prioritize the production and supply of formula ingredients. This comes as the Biden administration has come under intense pressure in the past week to do more to alleviate the shortage of formula, which has forced parents of babies to make significant efforts to feed their children.
The shortage stemmed from a February withdrawal by Abbott, the country’s largest formula maker, which shut down the company’s Michigan plant and exacerbated ongoing supply chain disruptions among formula makers, leaving fewer options on store shelves. from the country. The shortage has forced retailers such as CVS and Target to limit how many containers customers can buy per visit and forced some parents to exchange and sell formula online.
On Monday, FDA Commissioner Robert Calif told ABC News’s Good Morning America that the federal agency was “working really closely with Abbott” to reopen the closed plant in Michigan, and he expected that “in a very short time from time to time we will start to have a message about the way forward. “
Caliph said there was an announcement about importing baby formula from abroad, noting that the key was to make sure the formula instructions were in languages that mothers and caregivers could understand.
The FDA has warned families not to make their own baby formula, as it has 30 different ingredients that must be in the right amount, otherwise the formula can be dangerous to consume.
Abbott’s voluntary withdrawal was caused by four diseases reported in babies who consumed formula milk from the Michigan plant. All four babies were hospitalized with a rare type of bacterial infection and two died.
Abbott is one of only four companies to produce approximately 90% of the American formula, so its suspension has put pressure on already limited supplies.
After a six-week inspection, FDA researchers released a list of problems in March, including poor safety and sanitation standards and a history of bacterial contamination in several parts of the plant.
But Chicago-based Abbott stressed that its products are not directly linked to bacterial infections in children. The bacterial samples found at his plant did not match the strains collected from the babies by federal investigators. The company has repeatedly stated that it is ready to resume production pending an FDA decision.
Former FDA officials say it takes time to fix a problem like the one found at the Abbott plant, and infant facilities are more closely monitored than other food facilities. Companies must thoroughly clean the facility and equipment, retrain staff, test repeatedly and document that there is no pollution.
Even if the facility reopens soon, the FDA will still be subject to an inspection to address plant problems.
FDA inspectors visited the factory in September for a routine inspection, around the time the baby’s first bacterial infection was reported. Although inspectors found several violations – including stagnant water and unsanitary conditions – the FDA did not close the plant or issue a formal warning.
It was only after several other illnesses were reported that the FDA returned to the plant in January, this time finding a history of bacterial contamination in several parts of the plant. Abbott then closed the facility and withdrew several powder formulas in mid-February.
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro said last month that a whistleblower contacted the FDA in October about hazardous conditions and practices at the plant, including falsifying factory records and failing to test the contamination formula.
She and other lawmakers are due to question FDA Commissioner Caliph on the matter and others at a hearing scheduled for Thursday.
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This story has been updated to adjust the time of the whistleblower’s complaint to October, not September.
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