A baby formula display shelf is seen at a Walmart grocery store in Orlando. (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) WASHINGTON - Baby formula maker Abbott said Monday it has reached an agreement with U.S.
health regulators to restart production at its largest domestic factory, though it will be well over a month before any new products ship from the site to help alleviate the national shortage facing parents.Abbott did not immediately detail the terms of the agreement with the Food and Drug Administration, which has been investigating safety concerns at its Sturgis, Michigan, plant since early this year.
The consent decree amounts to a legally binding agreement between the FDA and the company on steps needed to reopen the factory.An FDA spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the announcement Monday evening.After production resumes, Abbott said it will take between six-to-eight weeks before new products begin arriving in stores.
The company didn’t set a timeline to restart production.The FDA is expected to announce additional steps Monday to allow more foreign imports into the U.S.