U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., introduced a bill Tuesday calling for additional testing and reporting at infant formula manufacturing facilities after nine deaths were reported and bacterial contamination was detected at a plant in Sturgis, helping to set off a shortage in 2022.
“Parents need to know with absolute certainty that the formula they’re buying for their babies is safe,” said Peters, who introduced the legislation along with U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. "I'm committed to making sure something like this never ever happens again."
Nine deaths among infants who were fed powdered infant formula made by Abbott Nutrition between December 2021 and March 2022 were reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration along with more than 100 other health complaints.
Two of the deaths were linked to cronobacter sakazakii, a pathogen that mostly affects newborns and can cause colitis, meningitis, sepsis and respiratory illness, and some of the other reports referred to salmonella infections. But while cronobacter was found at the Sturgis plant, it wasn't in production areas and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found no definitive link between Abbott's products and any illnesses.
Noting that the investigation by the CDC and FDA, product recalls and the temporary shutdown of the Sturgis plant helped set off a nationwide shortage, Peters said his legislation will help federal regulators prevent bacterial contaminations and supply chain disruptions if product recalls do occur.
If passed, the bill would require infant formula makers to test specifically for cronobacter or salmonella in formula marketed for consumption and share any positive results with the FDA, a measure that is not required currently under federal law. That, Peters said, would better help the FDA know where it should send inspectors and focus on finished product testing.
The bill would also require manufacturers to work with the FDA on how to best get rid of contaminated products since they could otherwise spread throughout a facility.