Abbott is working closely with the FDA to restart operations at the Sturgis, Mich., facility. We continue to make progress on corrective actions and will be implementing additional actions as we work toward addressing items related to the recent recall. In the meantime, we are working to increase the supply of infant formula by prioritizing infant formula production at our facilities that provide product to the U.S. market.
Shipping formula from Cootehill, Ireland
We have an FDA-registered plant in Cootehill, Ireland where we've increased the volume of Similac Advance powder formula produced for the U.S.—and we’re air-shipping product from this facility into the U.S. daily and the product is being restocked regularly.
Our Cootehill team sources ingredients from approximately 1,000 dairy farms in the local area. Following stringent quality and safety processes, each batch of infant formula undergoes extensive quality checks before it reaches stores.
Prioritizing infant formula production in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio is the headquarters location for Abbott’s U.S. nutrition business and is home to one of our five manufacturing facilities that produce infant formula for the U.S. market. At this facility we’ve made significant changes to ensure we can prioritize production of Similac Ready-to-Feed liquid formula, a product that can be used directly from the bottle. In the second quarter of the year, we expect to produce nearly three times more Similac Ready-to-Feed liquid formula than we did during the same period of time last year. And this product will be available on retail shelves and online soon.
Across the U.S., we’re prioritizing production of infant formula products to help replenish the supply in the market. And, this year, we will more than double the amount of Similac Advance powder formula we're bringing in from our manufacturing facility in Cootehill, Ireland.
We are dedicated to doing everything possible to ensure parents and caregivers have what they need to feed their babies. And we’re always focused on what we can do to continue to serve our customers. We will continue to work closely with the FDA to implement corrective actions at the Michigan facility.
We know getting your baby high-quality infant formula is your priority – it is ours too.
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