Production at bedeviled baby formula factory halted by storm

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By TOM MURPHY and LAURA UNGAR

Severe weather has forced Abbott Nutrition to pause production at a Michigan baby formula factory that had just restarted after being closed for several months, contributing to a national shortage.

Production for Abbott’s EleCare specialty formula has been suspended, but there is enough supply to meet demand until production is restarted, the company said. Abbott had prioritized ramping up production of the specialty formula for infants with severe food allergies and digestive problems who have few other options for nutrition.

Abbott says it needs to assess damage and re-sanitize the factory after severe thunderstorms and heavy rains swept through southwestern Michigan late Monday. Spokesman Jonathon Hamilton said flooding hit a few areas of the factory, but he declined to provide more specific details about damage.

The storm also brought high winds, hail and power failures to Sturgis, Michigan, where the factory is located. The company expects production and distribution to be delayed for a few weeks as it cleans the plant.



FILE - An Abbott Laboratories manufacturing plant is shown in Sturgis, Mich., on Sept. 23, 2010. Severe weather has forced Abbott Nutrition to pause production at a Michigan baby formula factory that had just restarted. The company said late Wednesday, June 15, 2022 that production for its EleCare specialty formula has stopped, but it has enough supply to meet needs until more formula can be made. (Brandon Watson/Sturgis Journal via AP)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/storms-health-thunderstorms-weather-f7d8a9df5ac176a6ac7e97802e05673b

[The Mouth]

1. Maybe the country should have enough such factories

that the loss of one doesn't result in such widespread harm.

Oh, wait, End Stage Capitalism, my bad.

[burrowowl]

2. Yup! End stage Capitalism!

[Botany]

3. Abbott labs got a multi million dollar tax abatement to modernize their factory in Michigan ...

... and what did the execs do with the money? They bought back their own stock.

[yaesu]

4. I went through those storms last night, got about 3 hours sleep. nt

[forgotmylogin]

5. If "severe thunderstorms and heavy rain" can take out a modern factory...

maybe that's part of the problem?

I'm not saying there aren't catastrophic events occasionally, but "thunderstorms and heavy rain" should not be a catastrophic event for an ostensibly indoor production.

[sybylla]

6. Water infiltration into the building was suspected as the origin of cronobacter, IIRC.

You can't fix years of neglect in 3 months. I expect they did some quick remediation + sanitation to make the FDA happy. Quick remediation isn't likely to stand up to bad weather.

Now they get to start over.

Putting the Defense Production Act into action for prioritizing ingredients to the other companies (which made the Abbott closure shortage worse) should keep supplies from falling at local stores.