Three years ago, America was in the midst of an infant-formula crisis. Abbott, one of the world’s biggest formula producers, had issued a nationwide recall after two children who consumed its products died of Cronobacter, a bacterial infection that can lead to complications such as meningitis. Because Abbott produced about 40 percent of the U.S. supply of infant formula, the recall contributed to a monthslong nationwide shortage stemming partially from pandemic-related supply-chain issues.

Federal investigators suspected that the outbreak originated in an Abbott factory in Michigan. FDA inspectors found that the plant had a leaky roof, standing water, and colonies of bacteria. Abbott has denied that its plant was the source of illness, and its products were never definitively linked to th

See Full Page