Baby formula shipped from Cavan facility to the US to combat shortages
Abbott has increased the volume of Similac Advance powder formula produced for the US at its Co. Cavan plant
Print17 May 2022
Irish-made baby formula is being shipped to the US to combat nationwide shortages.
Abbott, which is the producer of the Similac rage of infant formula and operates a facility in Cootehill, Co. Cavan, is transporting the product by air to the US amid supply chain issues and product recalls.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is the regulator in the US, recently issued a warning to consumers not to use certain powdered infant formula produced in Abbott Nutrition’s facility in Sturgis, Michigan. The warning comes following the hospitalisation of four babies, two of whom later died.
Abbott is the dominant player in the US infant formula market, with a 42% market share. Its Michigan plant closed three months ago after Abbott Laboratories issued a US nationwide baby formula recall amid reports of babies contracting bacterial infections. The shutdown has led to widespread shortages.
In a statement, Abbott said there was no evidence to link their formulas to the illnesses. “Abbott conducts microbiological testing on products prior to distribution and no Abbott formula distributed to consumers tested positive for Cronobacter sakazakii or Salmonella.”
To address the crisis, Abbot said it is “working to increase the supply of infant formula by prioritising infant formula production at our facilities that provide product to the US market.”
Cootehill plant
Abbott has increased the volume of Similac Advance powder formula produced for the US at its FDA-registered Cootehill plant, and it said it is “air-shipping product from this facility into the US daily and the product is being restocked regularly.”
It continued: “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.
“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.”
Fans 0
Followers