A study into the selling and marketing of baby formula stated the Government must do more to protect consumers.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) made their findings public regarding infant and follow-on formula on 14 February.
The CMA stated the NHS should use standardised packaging with the aim of having less influence on parents’ decision making.
The study’s authors said: “While we understand that the NHS does not endorse any brand of formula, it is likely that simply seeing a brand in hospital creates a perceived recommendation.”
The CMA report claimed one in five consumers stick with the formula they were given in hospital, while four out of five consumers stay loyal to their first-choice brand.
The study also found brands consistently sell below cost to hospitals in order to develop brand-consumer relations from as early as possible.
These brands are then more likely to be bought in supermarkets by parents at a higher price, compared to low-cost alternatives.
Baby formula in the UK has to reach a minimum standard in order to be sold as such, which means many parents have been unaware that lower cost brands still provide enough nutrients for their child’s infancy.
The CMA called for a ban on price promotions on baby formula and other forms of advertising in order to create a fairer market.
Charity Little Village operates baby banks across London, providing support in the form of toys, clothes, and toiletries for parents in need of help.
Little Village CEO Sophie Livingstone MBE said: “Nearly one in ten families supported by Little Village have resorted to watering down formula just to make it last longer – a desperate measure which combined with high housing, energy and food costs, are yet another unbearable burden for struggling parents.”
“Every child deserves access to the essential nutrition they need to grow and thrive – families need solutions, not impossible choices.”
The challenge for families is set to get more difficult following energy regulator Ofgem announcing a rise of around £111 for the typical energy bill in the UK, and pressure is increasing on the government to make basics more affordable amid the cost of living crisis.
At least 200,000 babies and children were aided by baby banks in 2023 according to the Baby Bank Alliance.
The CMA study estimates consumers could save up to £500 a year as a result of new legislation and a better approach to marketing and packaging in the UK.
For Little Village, the recent report confirms what parents have been telling them for years about the cost of infant formula being too high.
Government ministers welcomed the publication of the survey, including public health minister Ashley Dalton.
She said: “It is vital that they [families] can access formula that is affordable and high quality.
“Families should not be paying over the odds to feed their babies because of outdated regulation.”
Featured image credit: Free to use from Unsplash
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