The infant formula supply in 2024 remained strained, though not at the crisis levels of 2022. The core problem is that the U.S. formula market never fully recovered from the disruptions that began two years earlier, and several overlapping factors have kept shelves inconsistently stocked: reduced production at a key manufacturing plant, new recalls, a fragile supply chain built around single suppliers, and regulatory transitions that slowed the entry of foreign brands.
Abbott’s Sturgis Plant Never Returned to Full Output
The 2022 formula crisis began when Abbott Nutrition shut down its massive manufacturing facility in Sturgis, Michigan, after bacterial contamination was linked to infant illnesses. That single plant had produced a huge share of the country’s formula supply, and its closure sent shockwaves through the market. While the plant eventually reopened, production has not bounced back. In 2024, Abbott produced 41% less infant formula at Sturgis than it did in 2021, before the shutdown. That’s a significant and sustained drop from the facility that was once the backbone of U.S. formula manufacturing.
This gap means the overall domestic supply is smaller than it was before the crisis. Other manufacturers have picked up some of the slack, but formula production requires specialized equipment, strict safety protocols, and long lead times to scale up. You can’t simply flip a switch and replace that much lost capacity overnight, and clearly the industry hasn’t done so even over the course of two years.
A New Recall Hit Early in 2024
In January 2024, Reckitt/Mead Johnson recalled certain batches of Nutramigen powder infant formula (in both 12.6 oz and 19.8 oz cans) due to possible contamination with Cronobacter sakazakii, the same type of bacteria that triggered the 2022 crisis. Nutramigen is a specialized hypoallergenic formula used by babies with cow’s milk protein allergies, so this recall disproportionately affected families with fewer alternatives to switch to.
Even when a recall involves a relatively small number of batches, it creates ripple effects. Retailers pull products, parents panic-buy competing brands, and the surge in demand for alternatives creates temporary gaps on shelves for formulas that were previously in stable supply.
The WIC Single-Supplier Problem
About half of all infant formula sold in the United States is purchased through the WIC program (the federal nutrition program for women, infants, and children). Each state’s WIC program contracts with a single formula manufacturer, and participants can typically only buy that one brand. This structure keeps costs low for the government, but it creates a brittle supply chain.
A March 2024 report from the Federal Trade Commission highlighted the vulnerability: because each state depends on one manufacturer, a single contamination event or production disruption can trigger serious shortages with no easy backup plan. When the contracted brand runs short, stores in that state often don’t carry enough of other brands to fill the gap. Distributors and retailers have supply chains built around that one manufacturer, and setting up new agreements with alternative suppliers takes time.
Officials from multiple states told the Government Accountability Office that this system made the 2022 shortage significantly worse and that it continues to leave them exposed. If there’s a supply disruption affecting the brand with the WIC contract, the effects hit harder because other brands simply aren’t stocked in the same quantities. Families who rely on WIC, often lower-income households, face the most difficulty finding formula during any disruption.
International Imports Stalled in Transition
During the 2022 emergency, the federal government took extraordinary steps to bring in foreign formula. Operation Fly Formula airlifted large volumes from overseas. The FDA temporarily relaxed its enforcement of certain U.S. manufacturing requirements, allowing twelve international firms to ship formula into the country. Tariff relief was also granted to formula importers during the second half of 2022.
Those emergency measures were always meant to be temporary. By 2024, the FDA had moved into a transition phase: eight international manufacturers were working to bring their products into full compliance with U.S. formula regulations. That process is slow. U.S. standards for infant formula are among the strictest in the world, covering nutrient composition, labeling, and safety testing. Until these firms complete the transition, their ability to supply the U.S. market remains limited and uncertain. Some products that were temporarily available during the crisis are no longer on shelves while their manufacturers navigate the compliance process.
Tighter FDA Oversight Adds Caution
In the wake of the 2022 crisis, the FDA moved to strengthen its oversight of the formula industry. In December 2024, the agency issued draft guidance requiring manufacturers to notify the FDA whenever they permanently discontinue a formula product or experience a manufacturing interruption that could affect consumer supply. The goal is to give regulators early warning of potential shortages rather than scrambling to respond after shelves are already empty.
The FDA also conducts facility inspections that include collecting samples for both nutrient content and microbiological testing. These are necessary safety measures, but they add time to production cycles. Manufacturers operating under heightened scrutiny may run slower or more conservatively to avoid triggering another recall or shutdown. The trade-off between safety and speed is real: stricter oversight reduces the risk of contaminated formula reaching babies, but it also means any production hiccup takes longer to resolve.
What This Means for Parents
The 2024 shortage looks different from 2022. It’s less of an acute emergency and more of a chronic tightness, with availability varying by region, brand, and formula type. Specialty formulas for babies with allergies or metabolic conditions remain the hardest to find, since fewer manufacturers produce them and there are fewer substitutes.
If your usual formula is out of stock, most babies can safely switch to a comparable product from a different brand. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends talking with your pediatrician about appropriate alternatives, especially if your baby is on a specialty formula that was chosen for a specific medical reason. The AAP has also called on the FDA and Congress to develop consistent national guidance on how caregivers should substitute formulas during a shortage, something that didn’t exist during the 2022 crisis and still hasn’t been fully established.
The underlying market structure that caused the 2022 crisis, a small number of domestic manufacturers, single-supplier government contracts, and barriers to international competition, remains largely unchanged. Until those structural issues are addressed, the formula supply will continue to be vulnerable to disruptions that most other consumer products would absorb without anyone noticing.