Abbott Labs, FDA reach deal on reopening shuttered baby formula factory

Abbott Laboratories, whose recall of infant formulas made at a Michigan plant has been widely blamed for a nationwide shortage, announced Monday it had reached an agreement with the Food and Drug Administration on the steps needed to restart production — but it will still be weeks before any formula hits store shelves.

Abbott also claimed in its announcement that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had found no “conclusive evidence” linking formulas made at its Sturgis, Mich. facility to the infant illnesses and deaths that triggered the initial recall in February. 

Once a court signs off on the deal and the FDA gives the go-ahead to reopen the problem-plagued facility, Abbott could restart formula production within two weeks — though it will still be six to eight weeks before its products become publicly available.