Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Floods Re-Shutter Abbott Baby Formula Factory
Fox Business: Baby Formula Production Halted At Abbott's Michigan Plant Due To Flooding After Severe Storms
The Abbott Laboratories plant in Michigan that was at the center of the nation's baby formula crisis has stopped production again. Production of its EleCare specialty formula was stopped after severe storms in southwestern Michigan flooded areas of its Sturgis, Michigan plant. This is the same plant that forced Abbott to issue a recall of some of its formulas in February due to contamination issues. The closure of the Sturgis facility, the largest in the U.S. and source of leading brands like Similac, exacerbated the industry-wide baby formula shortage. For several months, parents and caregivers have been scrambling as shelves increasingly become more barren. Meanwhile, retailers were forced to put purchasing limits on the product to try and curtail stockpiling. (Martin, 6/16)
CNN: Formula Production At Abbott's Michigan Plant Delayed After Flooding From Severe Storms
In tweets Wednesday night, US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said, "We know Abbott is working quickly to assess the damage and will be reporting its progress to us in the days ahead. Once the company establishes a plan, FDA will be back in the facility working to ensure that they can restart producing safe and quality formula products quickly." (Gumbrecht, 6/15)
More updates on the baby formula shortage —
10TV.com: Large Baby Formula Shipment Expected In Columbus From Australia Thursday
A large shipment of baby formula is expected to be flown into Columbus from Australia late Thursday evening as part of Operation Fly Formula. An airplane containing 85,000 tins, or approximately 1.85 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents, of Bubs Australia infant formula is being flown into Rickenbacker International Airport from Melbourne, Australia, according to the airport. (Houmard, 6/16)
Fox Business: Baby Formula Shortage: White House To Ship More Than 44,000 Pounds
The Biden administration announced a seventh mission for "Operation Fly Formula," amid the nationwide shortage of infant formula. In a release, the administration said it would facilitate the shipment of approximately 548,000 eight-ounce bottle equivalents of Nestlé Alfamino® and Alfamino®Junior specialty infant formula this week, or more than 44,000 pounds. The Nestlé formula will be transported from Switzerland to Louisville, Kentucky, on Thursday. (Musto, 6/15)
Reuters: Baby Formula Makers Raced For FDA Approval. They May Be Waiting A While
To ease the U.S. shortage of baby formula, Nature's One and Holle are poised to ship hundreds of thousands of pounds, if not millions of pounds, of additional formula into stores, company executives told Reuters. They may be waiting a while. (DiNapoli, 6/15)
CNBC: What Led To The Baby Formula Shortage − How Lawmakers Are Trying To Prevent Another
More than 40% of baby formula in the U.S. was out of stock at the beginning of May and the problem has continued, according to Datasembly, a retail tracking group. And it wasn’t just a factory shutdown that led to the crisis. America’s strict formula import regulations and a nutritional program for low-income families may have contributed to the disaster. (Baldwin, 6/15)
National Geographic: The Microbe Behind The Baby Formula Recall Can Be Benign—Or Deadly
Cronobacter sakazakii, a little-known microbe, has evolved traits that make it difficult to destroy, posing a threat to our food safety. (Chang, 6/15)
In other news about infant safety —
The New York Times: Infants Died In Fisher-Price Seats That Are Not For Sleep, Safety Commission Said
After at least 13 infant deaths in rockers manufactured by Fisher-Price, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warned customers about the risks of inclined products for children in the first months of life. The deaths occurred in the past 12 years and were associated with the Infant-to-Toddler Rocker or Newborn-to-Toddler Rocker, according to an announcement Tuesday by Commissioner Richard L. Trumka Jr. Expert guidance from doctors and the agency says that infants should sleep only on flat surfaces. “No inclined product, made by Fisher-Price or any other company, is safe for infant sleep,” Mr. Trumka said. “Only a flat, firm surface is safe.” (Rubin, 6/15)
