Rep Krishnamoorthi launches inquiry into the FDA Similac powdered infant formula response after four infants were sickened and two died. Rep. Krishnamoorthi is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy in the U.S. House of Representatives.
A letter was sent requesting information about the FDA’s alleged “delayed response” in addressing contaminated infant formula. The Chairman wrote, “FDA is tasked with protecting all Americans from life-threatening foodborne illness outbreaks, but fell short in protecting vulnerable infants from contaminated formula. FDA must do more to ensure no lives are lost, or babies sickened, due to delayed inspections and late consumer warnings.”
The Minnesota Department of health alerted the FDA in September 2021 that an infant’s Cronobacter sakazakii infection was traced back to formula produced at an Abbott Nutrition Facility in Sturgis, Michigan. Two more reports were sent to the FDA between September and December 2021. Minnesota isn the only state in the country that requires doctors report Cronobacter infections.
The FDA inspected the facility in September 2021 and found unsanitary conditions, but did not issue a warning about the products until February 17, 2022, when many types of Abbott powdered infant formula, including Similac, EleCare, and Alimentum, were recalled.
In the inquiry into FDA Similac investigation, the Chairman is asking the FDA to provide information and documents explaining the delay in warning consumers, and steps the agency plans to take to make sure it responds more quickly to reports of foodborne illness. The letter also asks the FDA to give the committee all documents and communications, from September 1, 2021 to the present on the reports from Minnesota Authorities and what FDA plans to do to address the problems at the Michigan facility.
