The announcement was eagerly awaited to resolve a serious supply crisis that has been going on for several months. The American company Abbott announced on Saturday June 4 that it was restarting a large factory located in Michigan, whose prolonged closure is causing a shortage of infant milk affecting the whole of the United States.
The world’s largest power was already experiencing supply problems linked to the Covid-19 pandemic when Abbott announced in February a recall of products suspected of having caused the death of two infants, as well as the closure of its factory.
Serious sanitation issues
The manufacturer specifies that the factory, after meeting conditions set by the US Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will begin selling one of its products, EleCare hypoallergenic milk, from around June 20. . Abbott, which controls 40% of the baby milk market in the United States, assured that it “worked hard” to also relaunch the production of another brand very popular with American families, Similac, as well as the rest of its range.
“We understand the urgent need for infant formula and our top priority is getting safe, high-quality milk to families across the United States”we read in the press release published by the company.
The FDA had described serious safety problems in the factory concerned. “Frankly, the results of the inspection [du site] were shocking”, testified Robert Califf, at the head of the agency, during his hearing in Congress, on May 25. The group, itself, confused in excuses at the time of this same hearing.
To deal with the shortage, the Biden administration, accused of having reacted too late, set up an airlift to bring in tons of baby milk produced abroad by military planes.