Abbott Laboratories will pay nearly $385 million to settle allegations, first brought by whistleblowers, that two of its infant formula plants had unsanitary conditions that did not comply with federal and state regulations, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.
Federal and state governments purchase formula from Abbott and other companies to supply the Women, Infants and Children program (WIC), which provides free formula to low-income new mothers. The WIC program purchases more than half of the infant formula produced in the U.S., and states buy additional amounts. Infant formulas and the plants that manufacture them must meet standards set by the federal government.
