America needs more baby formula. Here's why it's so hard to make it

The formula shortage has exposed an inflexible industry dominated by just three to four large players that own a majority of formula production in the United States. There's little wiggle room when one plant abruptly shuts down, as Abbott Nutrition's plant in Sturgis, Michigan, did in February after a bacterial contamination.

By May, stores were reporting as much as 40% of baby formula products were out of stock, exacerbated by ongoing supply chain slowdowns and formula product recalls.