You'd think this would be bigger news. You'd think it would be maybe the biggest piece of news in the country. But if you're like me, you just found out about it (checks watch) literally right now:
In mid-February Abbott Laboratories issued a nationwide baby formula recall and ceased operations at its plant in Sturgis, Michigan amid reports of babies contracting bacterial infections from its products.
An Abbott spokesperson told DailyMail.com Tuesday that 'thorough investigation' by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Abbott revealed 'infant formula produced at our Sturgis facility is not the likely source of infection in the reported cases and that there was not an outbreak caused by products from the facility'.
However, despite the findings of the investigation, the plant remains shuttered nearly three months later, fueling the nationwide baby formula shortage.
The FDA - which said it found food safety violations at the plant, as well as five strains of Cronobacter, a bacteria that can cause blood infections and meningitis - has refused to say when the plant can resume operations.
This is not normal and it's not okay. Baby formula is an indispensable consumer product. It's food. It's food for babies.
The federal government should in no uncertain terms be able to resolve its health concerns with this company in less than three months and get the plant up and running again.
This isn't even a time to remark on how badly this is going to fall on Democrats during the midterms (though it is, and devastatingly so). This is not a political issue. This is an issue where—again—babies are not getting enough food.
I can't believe I have to tell the federal government this, but: Fix the health violations, get everything clean and sanitized, and let the plant open immediately.
We don't care how it's done, just do it. Now.
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