UP AND RUNNING

Abbott Baby Formula Plant Re-Starts Production—Again

The plant re-opened in June, but severe thunderstorms and flooding forced it to shut down yet again.

Only two weeks after baby formula production resumed at the Abbott Nutrition factory in June, severe thunderstorms and flooding caused the plant to shut its doors once more. Now, production at the plant has once again re-started. CNBC reported that the plant has resumed production of EleCare, a specialty formula for babies with severe allergies, and hopes to restart production of Similac as soon as possible. In February, Abbott’s plant in Michigan shut down due to contamination and a host of health violations, fueling a nationwide baby formula shortage. The Biden administration had made efforts to address the shortage, including importing formula from abroad. As one of four companies in the U.S. that produce 90 percent of the nation’s formula, the Abbot closure demonstrated supply chain weaknesses, which were only made more plain when severe weather halted production yet again in June.