Large baby milk factory in US open again, hope for an end to shortages

Manufacturer Abbott has resumed production at the baby milk powder plant in Michigan that closed more than three months ago. The hope is that the reopening will end the major shortages of baby food in the US.

Abbott closed the complex in mid-February after bacterial infections in four babies, two of whom died. According to the American food watchdog FDA, the infections may have been caused by a manufacturing defect at the Michigan plant.

The measure, combined with a recall, led to major shortages of baby food. The Michigan plant was responsible for 25 percent of U.S. baby milk powder production.

President Biden put last month a law from the Korean War to counter the shortages. Under the law, a president can demand that certain manufacturers be given priority in deliveries of ingredients or parts. It also made it easier to import baby food from abroad.

In three weeks in stores

According to manufacturer Abbott, all requirements of the FDA are now met. “Providing safe, high-quality milk to families in the United States is our top priority,” it said in a statement.

The resumption of production does not mean that baby milk powder from the factory in Michigan will be on the shelves immediately. That will probably take another week or three.

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