FDA acknowledges slow response, 'suboptimal' decisions leading up to infant formula shortage
Sluggish response and questionable decisions by the Food and Drug Administration exacerbated the nation’s infant formula shortage, agency officials told lawmakers at a congressional hearing on Wednesday.
Top executives from Abbott Nutrition, Gerber Products Co. and Reckitt — three of the largest manufacturers of infant formula in the U.S. — also testified before the committee, with Abbott Nutrition apologizing for its facility’s shortfalls. Regulators said that they reached a deal to allow Abbott Nutrition to restart its factory — with production projected to be underway as soon as June 4 — following an overhaul in the company’s safety protocols and procedures. Abbott said it would take at least two months for its formula to begin arriving in stores.
“The current formula shortage has real consequences. Babies and children are suffering. Parents are nervous wrecks,” said Rep. Diana DeGette . “It was totally preventable. ... We cannot ignore the need for longer-term solutions.”
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