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June 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department closed a criminal probe into Abbott Laboratories over its handling of a baby formula plant linked to potentially deadly bacteria and infant deaths, opting instead for civil penalties, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The U.S. Department of Justice and Abbott Laboratories did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside business hours.
Abbott initiated a recall of its infant formula products and closed its Michigan plant in 2022 after investigators found traces of a potentially deadly bacteria at that plant. The recall and the plant closure worsened a national shortage of baby formula that had begun with pandemic supply chain issues.
Abbott had said at the time that there was no evidence linking its formulas to these illnesses. No unopened, distributed Abbott infant formulas have tested positive for the bacteria that sickened the babies, a company spokesman told the WSJ.
Some prosecutors believed they had evidence to criminally charge the company, but top decision makers closed the probe, according to the WSJ report. Instead, they opted for the lighter option of clawing back money the company earned from selling formula through federally funded nutrition programs, the report added.
“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,” a spokeswoman for the DOJ told WSJ.
Prosecutors had been considering a misdemeanor charge against Abbott for violating the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and a separate count for misleading the government before dropping the case, the report said, and added that prosecutors were also considering charging at least one individual.
(Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
