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    "parsed_content": "U.S. Health PolicyDelayed Child Covid VaccinesChildren\u2019s Health ReformsFall Vaccine GuidanceRestrictions on Food IngredientsAdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTSupported bySKIP ADVERTISEMENTAbbott to Pay $385 Million to Settle Infant Formula AllegationsThe company recalled formulas manufactured at a Michigan plant in 2022, after health officials linked them to serious illnesses in babies.Listen \u00b7 3:33 min Share full articleCredit...Kayana Szymczak for The New York TimesBy Caroline Hopkins LegaspiSept. 14, 2026Abbott Laboratories, the maker of the popular infant formula Similac, will pay nearly $385 million to settle claims that it knowingly sold formula manufactured in facilities that did not meet safety requirements.The settlement, announced on Monday by the Justice Department, follows years of scrutiny of a plant Abbott managed in Sturgis, Mich., that produced a sizable share of the nation\u2019s formula supply. In 2022, Abbott initiated a recall of powdered formulas manufactured at the plant, after federal health officials linked the products to four infants who were hospitalized with rare bacterial infections, two of whom died.Production at the facility was halted, contributing to a nationwide formula shortage that lasted for months.In a statement provided to The Times on Monday, the company, which did not admit liability or fault in the settlement, noted that \u201cno unopened, distributed Abbott infant formulas have ever tested positive\u201d for the bacteria that sickened the babies, including containers from the homes of the infants.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT\u201cWe make infant formula with the same care we would for our own families and are deeply committed to earning and maintaining caregivers\u2019 trust,\u201d the company said.The federal government\u2019s complaint detailed unsanitary conditions at the Michigan plant, including roof leaks, deteriorating equipment and inadequate cleaning procedures.Instead of fixing the roof leaks, the department said, Abbott installed umbrellas, which diverted water from production areas but created a wet environment ripe for bacterial growth. The company\u2019s spray dryers, which were used to turn liquid formula into powder, had cracks and pits, which increased the risk of contamination, the complaint said, and Abbott ran more batches of formula through the dryers between cleaning cycles than was safe.The Justice Department also claimed that Abbott purposefully chose not to test for bacterial contamination and that, when the company did perform tests, it did not share positive results with the Food and Drug Administration.In a 2022 consent decree reached with the Justice Department, Abbott agreed to replace the plant\u2019s roof, address sanitation protocols and take other corrective steps, though it did not admit liability. In a hearing before a House panel that year, an Abbott representative said it prioritized \u201csafety and compliance in our plants.\u201dAdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe Abbott recall underscored broader concerns about the safety and oversight of the U.S. infant formula supply. In 2025, the formula company ByHeart, whose products were linked to an infant botulism outbreak, shut down its Pennsylvania plant after inspectors found safety violations, including mold in a clean-water tank and dead insects in a production area. The company recalled all lots of its formula.Nearly $349 million of the Abbott settlement funds will go to the federal government and just over $36 million will go to state Medicaid and W.I.C. programs that purchased Abbott\u2019s formula. Three whistle-blowers who first filed complaints about the plant will receive $69 million.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT",
    "published_at": "2026-09-14T19:59:21+00:00",
    "author_name": "Caroline Hopkins Legaspi",
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    "ai_headline": "Abbott to Pay $385 Million to Settle Infant Formula Allegations",
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    "ai_excerpt": "Abbott Laboratories will pay nearly $385 million to settle claims that it knowingly sold infant formula manufactured in facilities that did not meet safety requirements. This follows a 2022 recall linked to serious illnesses in babies and a nationwide formula shortage.",
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