The company said it will begin production of EleCare and other specialty and metabolic preparations, with EleCare products first available to consumers on or around June 20.
The US Food and Drug Administration said May 19 that the plant was on track to open in a week or two.
The factory closure and infant formula recall have worsened the supply shortage in a country where, according to 2020 federal data, less than half of babies are exclusively breastfed for their first three months.
Abbott issued a recall in February after reports of bacterial infections in children who consumed formula made at the factory.
The FDA’s inspection of the Sturgis plant revealed “shocking” findings such as cracks in vital equipment, lack of adequate hand washing and evidence of past bacterial contamination.
Abbott said there was no evidence linking its formulas to disease, while FDA inspection found bacteria in environmental tests, not product samples.
The FDA then entered into a consent decree agreement that allowed it to oversee Abbott’s actions to address the plant’s issues.
Prior to the recall, Abbott controlled 40% of the infant formula market, including Similac, but the market share of other companies such as Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC has since increased.
Even after the factory reopens, it could be weeks before the formula supply returns to normal, said FDA commissioner Robert Califf.
Global companies that make infant formula, like Neocate’s maker Danone SA, are bringing products to the United States after the country’s health regulator eased its import policy.