Formula for Disaster: A Settlement, Not a Solution The $385 million settlement between Abbott Laboratories and the Justice Department over the closure of its largest baby formula plant in Sturgis, Michigan, is a Band Aid on a festering wound.
The 2022 crisis was not just about supply chain disruptions or stockpiling during COVID 19 shutdowns; it highlighted deep seated issues with our food production and regulatory systems.
The investigation and subsequent recall of powdered infant formula were prompted by contamination fears, specifically the presence of Cronobacter sakazakii, a bacterium that can cause severe illness in infants.