The Justice Department is investigating Abbott Laboratories' infant formula facility in Michigan, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The plant under investigation is one of the leading producers of infant formula in the US and is the same one that closed last year, exacerbating formula shortages across the country.

At the forefront of the process are lawyers from the Department of Justice's consumer protection branch. "The DOJ has informed us of their investigation, and we are cooperating fully," an Abbott spokesman commented.