According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis Michigan infant formula plant is now the target of a federal criminal probe by the Department of Justice.
The plant is a significant infant formula producer in the United States and was shut down for several months last year after potentially deadly bacteria was discovered.
The FDA investigated the plant after reports of babies becoming sick after drinking Abbott formula. After an exhaustive investigation, it could not conclusively link the Abbott formula to any of the cases of sick infants.
The shutdown caused a nationwide shortage of baby formula that had parents scrambling.
The Biden administration lifted prohibitions on foreign-produced infant formula to get something on supermarket shelves.
The plant was allowed to reopen in May 2022 under a consent decree with the Department of Justice.