US: Abbott Laboratories Under DOJ Investigation

• Abbott did not specify what aspect of the company is under Justice Department scrutiny.

• Justice Department is investigating conduct at Abbott’s plant in Sturgis

• Abbott voluntarily shut down production at its Sturgis infant formula manufacturing plant on Feb. 17

Eko Hot Blog reports that Abbott Laboratories is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, the company confirmed Friday, almost a year after it shut down a Michigan baby-formula plant after illnesses were reported.

EDITOR’S PICKS

• $415m Of Crypto Stolen By Hackers- FTX

• Actor Jeremy Renner Discharged From Hospital After Snowplow Accident

• WEEKLY GIST WITH ANNIE

Abbott did not specify what aspect of the company is under Justice Department scrutiny.

“DOJ has informed us of its investigation and we’re cooperating fully,” an Abbott spokesperson said in a statement.

It was reported earlier Friday that the Justice Department was investigating conduct at Abbott’s plant in Sturgis, Michigan, citing people familiar with the matter who it did not name.

Abbott voluntarily shut down production at its Sturgis infant formula manufacturing plant on Feb. 17, 2022, after infants who consumed formula made at the plant became sick.

The shutdown contributed to a nationwide infant formula shortage.

Four infants, two of whom died, were sickened by a rare bacteria after consuming powdered formula made at Abbott’s Michigan factory.

Federal investigators were unable to definitively determine the source or sources of the bacteria, Cronobacter sakazakii, which can cause severe illness.

The company signed a consent decree with the federal government in May that laid out what it would do before re-opening its plant. 

The Food and Drug Administration said when the proposed consent decree was announced that “the government alleges that powdered infant formula products manufactured at Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis facility were adulterated because they were made under insanitary conditions and in violation of current good manufacturing practice requirements.”

Production at the Michigan factory, which makes three of the country’s most popular brands — Similac, Alimentum and EleCare — resumed in June.

Abbott Labs previously said that it “continue[s] to enhance our manufacturing and quality processes to ensure that our products remain free of Cronobacter Sakazakii” and had “already begun implementing corrective actions and enhancements at the facility.”

FURTHER READING

• Several Celebrities Test Positive For Covid After Golden Globes Award Ceremony

• Twitter Auctions Bird Statue And Other Office Furniture

• Philippine: Journalist Maria Ressa Acquitted Of Tax Evasion

The company also said the lack of a genetic match between sick infants and the formula confirmed its own internal testing showing there was no link, and it said it has not found the bacteria in any of its distributed products. 

Source: NBC

Click here to watch video of the week:

---

Advertise or Publish a Story on EkoHot Blog:

Kindly contact us at [email protected]. Breaking stories should be sent to the above email and substantiated with pictorial evidence.

Citizen journalists will receive a token as data incentive.

Call or Whatsapp: 0803 561 7233, 0703 414 5611