US healthcare giant Abbott Laboratories will halt sales of baby formula in mainland China until next year amid fierce competition, shifting its focus to medical nutrition instead.
Abbott will phase out manufacturing and sales of baby formula under its Eleva, PediaSure and Similac brands, as well as its Total Comfort and NeoSure sub-brands, by 2023, the Chicago-based company’s Shanghai commercial arm said on WeChat today.
Abbott had a 6.2 percent share of the approximately CNY 5 billion (US$719 million) Chinese formula market in 2019, but was not among the top 10, according to figures from market research firm Nielsen as of September this year.
In February, Abbott recalled batches of Similac, Alimentum and EleCare products manufactured by its Sturgis, Michigan facility after a baby died after consuming products contaminated with Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella Newport, which cause meningitis or sepsis be able.
Consumers in China can buy Eleva, PediaSure and Similac products online and offline with customer service, Abbott said. After the withdrawal, the company’s cross-border e-commerce platform will continue to operate.