US reaches deal to reopen shuttered baby formula plant

By ZEKE MILLER and MATTHEW PERRONE
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — US officials have reached an agreement to allow baby formula maker Abbott to restart its largest domestic factory. It’s a key step toward easing the national formula shortage, though it will be two months or longer before any new product ships. Under the agreement, Abbott must fix bacterial contamination issues at its Michigan facility, which the Food and Drug Administration has been investigating since early this year. After production resumes, Abbott said it will take eight to ten weeks before new products begin arriving in stores.