The company was the catalyst that turned a shortage of domestic formula supplies into a national crisis when it had to shut down a large plant inafter the regulator, the FDA, identified issues with cleanliness and poor working practices at the site.
The FDA action followed the hospitalisation of four babies, two of whom later died, due to a bacterial infection. All four used Abbott formula and the same bacteria – though not the same strain of it – was subsequently found in the Abbott plant. On Friday, it was unable to say whether it had capacity at the Cavan factory to further increase shipments.
“We are already express air-freighting infant formula from our FDA-registered facility in Ireland and welcome any support that these added measures can provide in cutting red tape, increasing volume of imports and speeding up transport time from overseas to the US,” a spokeswoman said.