Severe thunderstorms and heavy rains on Monday caused Abbott Nutrition's formula plant in Sturgis, Michigan to stop production of its EleCare specialty formula brand.
In a statement, the company says the storm overwhelmed the city's stormwater system, caused power outages in the city, and flooding in areas of the formula plant.
The company says it has stopped production of the EleCare specialty formula to assess damage and re-sanitize the plant.
This delay in production comes almost two weeks after the plant restarted, after months of closure due to concerns over bacterial contamination.
Abbott maintains there is no conclusive evidence linking its formulas to illnesses in formula-fed infants, saying, "After a thorough review of all available data, there is no evidence to link our formulas to these infant illnesses."
Several infants got sick from bacteria in formula and two died.
An FDA spokesperson said on Wednesday, "Abbott is working quickly to assess the damage and will be reporting its progress to the agency in the days ahead."
In a tweet Wednesday, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said, "Once the company establishes a plan, FDA will be back in the facility working to ensure that they can restart producing safe and quality formula products quickly."
