The U.S. Justice Department has quietly ended its criminal investigation into Abbott Laboratories over how the company managed a baby formula manufacturing plant connected to potentially deadly bacteria and the deaths of infants, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
Reuters was unable to independently confirm the report. Neither the Justice Department nor Abbott Laboratories responded to requests for comment made outside of normal business hours.
The situation dates back to 2022, when Abbott pulled its infant formula products from shelves and shuttered its Michigan manufacturing facility after investigators discovered traces of a dangerous bacteria at the site. That recall and plant closure deepened a nationwide baby formula shortage that had already been building due to pandemic-related supply chain disruptions.
At the time, Abbott maintained there was no evidence directly connecting its products to any infant illnesses. A company spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that no unopened, distributed Abbott infant formula products have tested positive for the bacteria that made babies sick.
According to the Journal’s report, some prosecutors felt they had enough evidence to bring criminal charges against the company. However, top decision-makers within the department chose to close the case. Rather than pursuing prosecution, officials opted for a lesser approach — recovering money Abbott received from selling formula through federally funded nutrition programs.
A Justice Department spokeswoman explained the decision to the Wall Street Journal, saying: “Ensuring the safety of our nation’s food supply is a top priority for the Trump administration; however, this Department of Justice does not believe in regulation by prosecution.”
The Journal also reported that prosecutors had been weighing a misdemeanor charge against Abbott for allegedly violating the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, along with a separate count for allegedly misleading the government. Prosecutors had also been considering charges against at least one individual before the case was dropped.
