(Washington) The American company Abbott announced in a press release on Saturday that it was restarting a large factory based in Michigan, whose closure for several months has caused a shortage of baby milk affecting all of the United States .
Posted at 1:50 p.m.
Abbott specifies that the factory, after fulfilling the conditions laid down by the American Medicines Agency (FDA), will in particular begin to sell one of its products, EleCare hypoallergenic milk, from around June 20.
The maker, which controls 40% of the U.S. baby milk market, said it was “working hard” to also restart production of another popular American family brand, Similac, along with the rest of its range.
“We understand the urgent need for infant formula and our first priority is to get safe, high-quality milk to families across the United States,” reads its statement.
The world’s leading power had been experiencing baby milk supply problems for some time, 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 than the closure of its factory, triggering a severe shortage.
The group has already apologized profusely during a congressional hearing. The FDA has described serious health problems in the factory concerned.
“Frankly, the results of the inspection [du site] were shocking”, testified Robert Califf, the boss of this agency, during this hearing on May 25.
To deal with the shortage, the Biden administration, accused of having reacted too late, set up a kind of airlift to bring in, by military planes, tons of baby milk manufactured abroad.