Severe weather deals another blow to nation's baby formula crisis
 |
Baby formula is displayed on the shelves of a grocery store in Carmel, Ind. on May 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File) |
On Monday night, torrential rain and damaging winds from a derecho resulted in significant damage across the Midwest, including Sturgis, Michigan, located southwest of Detriot. Heavy rain overwhelmed the city's stormwater system, resulting in flooding across parts of the city, including at Abbott Nutrition's largest United States baby formula factory.
The country's largest baby formula factory reopened on June 4, renewing hope for stressed parents that the formula shortage would ease. But just 11 days later, the company announced it would once again stop production of infant formula, this time due to the flood damage it sustained during the storm.
Just across the street from the factory, the Kirsch Municipal Airport measured 1.65 inches of rain from Monday to Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
According to a statement released on the company's website, due to the flooding, the plant has stopped production of its EleCare specialty formula as it assesses the damage caused by the storm, and cleans and re-sanitizes the plant.
"This will likely delay production and distribution of new product for a few weeks," the company stated.
 |
This radar gif shows the line of storms moving through Michigan earlier this week. |
The new closure comes less than two weeks after the company reopened the Michigan-based plant, which was closed for nearly four months due to an investigation launched by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Production lines were halted and Abbott Nutrition recalled three different powered baby formulas made at the Sturgis factory because of contamination concerns. According to The New York Times, four infants became sick with bacterial infections after consuming the products.
The complaints concerned Cronobacter sakazakii, a common environmental bacteria that can cause life-threatening infections or inflammation of the lining that protects the brain and spine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to an update on the company's website, two infants passed away.
 |
Abbott Headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. (Abbott Newsroom Media Library) |
In May, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf described the conditions at the Sturgis factory as "shocking" and "egregiously unsanitary," CNBC reported.
Due to cracks in key equipment, leaks in the roofs, pooling water, and a previous citation for inadequate handwashing, bacteria was found growing from multiple sites in the factory, Califf said.
Although the Cronobacter bacteria was found in environmental testing at the plant during the investigation, the company said in an update on its website that there is no conclusive evidence linking its products to the infections. An analysis showed that the strains taken from two of the infants did not match the samples found at the plant.
The FDA and CDC could not link whether the plant was the source of the bacteria that caused the illnesses in the four infants, but Califf described the confluence of events as "highly unusual" according to a CNBC report.
NBC Miami reported that ongoing supply disruptions began in 2021 when the COVID-19 pandemic led to disruptions in labor, transportation and raw material. Parents stockpiling formula squeezed the inventory even more.
The nearly four-month closure of the Sturgis plant sent the infant formula shortage into a crisis.
Abbott is one of four manufacturers that control 90% of the domestic infant formula market in the U.S., according to a report from Bloomberg. Before the recall, the Michigan-based factory was responsible for 40% of Abbott's U.S. formula production.
Although the reopening date of the plant has not yet been made available, Abbott wrote in an update on its site that it has "ample existing supply of EleCare and most of its specialty and metabolic formulas to meet the needs for these products until new product is available."
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app.AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists, who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
