Nutritional product business had 5.1% Q1 sales growth and is like Abbott’s other segments, “super well-aligned to the global demographics and trends in health care,” says CEO Ford. But as it defends complaints of damages from powder formulas made at facility found with unsafe levels of bacterial contaminants, Abbott’s also targeted in litigation alleging failure to warn about risk of infants born prematurely developing necrotizing enterocolitis if fed cow’s milk-based formula.

Abbott’s US formula sales continued to fall during the October-December period on manufacturing disruptions even with production “up and running” at its Sturgis, MI, where it makes powder formula it markets under Similac, Alimentum and EleCare brands.

Perrigo can continue claiming its store brand hypoallergenic infant formula saves customers more than 20% compared to leading name brands while providing similar nutrition to leading brands. But meeting AAP standard doesn’t measure up as equivalent to brands, industry self-regulation group says.

Abbott's s Christopher Calamari, Gerber's Scott Fitz and Reckitt Robert Cleveland didn't have ng answers about immediately solving supply shortage or about preventing another one when they testified before Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee.