The Competition and Markets Authority has said parents should be allowed to use vouchers and loyalty points to buy infant formula – the focal point of Metro’s Formula For Change campaign in partnership with charity Feed.
The latest CMA infant formula study found that parents could save £300 if they switch to cheaper baby formula.
Many parents choose more expensive brands, believing it’s better for their child- despite all brands being nutritionally beneficial for babies.
Metro and Feed have been urging the government to urgently review their infant formula legislation and give retailers the green light to accept loyalty points, all food bank vouchers and store gift cards as payment for infant formula.
The clarification marks another positive step for Metro’s award-winning Formula for Change campaign with infant feeding charity, Feed.
CMA’s study also recommended standardised packaging in hospitals; providing clear information to parents in healthcare and retail settings on the nutritional sufficiency of all infant formula; making it easier to compare prices of different brands; and extending the ban on advertising to include follow-on formula.
Formula for Change was instrumental in bringing this issue to light.
FORMULA FOR CHANGE: HOW YOU CAN HELP
Join Metro.co.uk and Feed in calling on the government to urgently review their infant formula legislation and give retailers the green light to accept loyalty points, all food bank vouchers and store gift cards as payment for infant formula.
Our aim is to take our petition to No.10 to show the Prime Minister this is an issue that can no longer be ignored.
The more signatures we get, the louder our voice, so please click here to sign our Formula for Change petition.
Things need to change NOW.
Public Health Minister, Ashley Dalton told Metro: ‘I welcome this report and would like to thank the Competition and Markets Authorities for their thorough investigation. There are many benefits of breastfeeding but for those families that cannot or choose not to breastfeed, it is vital that they can access formula that is affordable and high quality. Families should not be paying over the odds to feed their babies because of outdated regulations.
‘As part of our Plan for Change, we’re determined to ensure every child has the best start to life. We will carefully consider these recommendations and respond fully in due course.’
CMA echoed previous calls for packing on formulas to clearly display information on nutritional sufficiency.
‘Like infant formula, advertising (including price promotions and deals) for follow-on milk should be banned,’ they said.
Sophie Livingstone MBE, chief executive for Little Village Baby Banks told Metro: ‘No parent should have to worry about whether they can feed their baby. And no baby should be at risk of going hungry. Yet nearly 1 in 10 of the families supported by Little Village are resorting to watering down formula to make each box last longer.
‘The cost of baby formula is simply too high and piling on the pressure when families are already juggling high housing, energy and food costs.
‘We want two things to happen – that the cost of formula comes down and that the government provides clear guidance that allows baby banks to safely supply formula to the families most in need.’
From Metro Deputy Editor Claie Wilson
‘After months of campaigning and hard work, this is amazing news and a huge win for Formula For Change.
‘These recommendations show that the most important thing is babies are fed, not how they are fed.
‘While this is brilliant news, we still need the government to give the go-ahead through clear and simple messaging so there’s no confusion left at all, so we’ll be keeping an eye out for that, as well as focusing on new goals for our Formula For Change campaign, so we can continue to help families.’
Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, said: ‘Every parent wants to give their baby the best possible start in life.
‘Many who need, or choose, to formula feed, pick a brand at a vulnerable moment, based on incomplete information, often believing that higher prices must mean better quality. This is despite NHS advice stating that all brands will meet your baby’s nutritional needs, regardless of brand or price.
‘Governments across the UK are committed to the tight regulation of infant formula for public health reasons.
‘Our proposals will also make it easier for regulations to be properly enforced while ensuring manufacturers and retailers can be more confident in what they can and can’t do according to law.’
Metro has reached out to the Department of Health and Social Care for comment.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Supermarket makes major change to be first to tackle baby formula stigma
MORE: Kate meets prison mums who say childcare is better in jail than on the outside
MORE: Tearful parents of girl killed in Southport attack reveal their final moments together
