Now, more than a year later, Abbott faces increased scrutiny from regulators, and formula shortages persist, due in part to reverberating aftershocks from demand in 2022. Other manufacturers scrambled to meet demand amid nationwide shortages. At the time, Abbott’s formula accounted for 40% of the nation’s supply, and the Sturgis plant was the largest formula factory in the nation. The events sent shockwaves through the industry. In 2022, a whistleblower complaint led to an FDA investigation, the discovery of harmful bacteria potentially contaminating the formula, a recall, and the shutdown of Abbott Laboratories’ factory in Sturgis, Michigan, for several months. And it’s still, for me, an issue every day,” Abate said.

“This was a big deal a year ago, and now no one seems to care or talk about it. Abate still spends hours hopping from one store website to another. One retailer recently changed their policy to allow two boxes per family instead of four – and that’s when it’s in stock. Even so, stores limit how much she can buy at a time. Abate even bought unopened cans from manufacturers on eBay.Ī month ago, struggling to find the special type, she switched to regular formula, which has been somewhat easier to find. She called pharmacies to see if they could special-order it, and her pediatrician set aside any samples that came into the office. She asked friends and family to look in the formula aisle anytime they went to a store. Instead, Abate spent hours poring over medical supply websites. There are only two types of that formula available, and she never once saw them on the shelf. Her son was born prematurely, and he needed a special formula for preterm infants. “It’s very rare that I can go into a store and purchase formula.” That was especially true when she was supplementing her breast milk for the first five months. “I’ve been facing empty shelves, for sure,” Abate said. Stockouts of certain brands and limitations in stores persist, especially in rural areas with fewer options. But many families in America still struggle to find formula, facing empty shelves and unremitting stress. The baby formula shortage in the US is not as dire now as when it began in 2022, when stock reached deep lows and triggered a political crisis for Joe Biden. “I just worry that we won’t have enough for him and he’s going to need to eat.” “It’s very stressful,” said Abate, who lives in Towson, Maryland.

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