Several factors have contributed to the infant formula crisis we are witnessing now and, though the operations at Abbott Nutrition warrant scrutiny, we must look at how failures at the Food and Drug Administration have also contributed to the crisis.
The FDA waited months to inspect the Abbott facility after learning its formula could be contaminated. And after its inspectors confirmed the contamination, the FDA waited for weeks before alerting the public.
So, when legislators hear from FDA Commissioner Robert Califf today, here are four questions we hope they will ask:
A whistleblower warned the FDA in October 2021 that Abbott had falsified records, released untested formula, employed lax cleaning practices, misled auditors, failed to take corrective measures and lacked good systems for tracing potentially contaminated products. Also, while the whistleblower report was sent to some food safety leaders within the FDA, it was not shared with the deputy commissioner supposedly responsible for food policy and response.
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