According to a June 22nd release, the Food and Drug Administration announced an additional infant death that occurred in January 2022 attributed to consumption of contaminated infant formula. The FDA has received 129 complaints resulting in five hospitalizations and three fatalities over the period September 2021 through January 2022.
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed charges against Abbott Nutrition and several employees alleging that infant formula produced at the Sturgis, MI. plant was adulterated as it was produced under unsanitary conditions. The complaint also alleges improper manufacturing practices and quality control procedures including falsification of records.
After extensive decontamination and retraining of personnel the Sturgis plant was reopened under the control of an independent expert designated by the FDA to ensure compliance with appropriate manufacturing procedures and quality assurance in accordance with a consent decree.