A mum wants to warn others that Aldi has discontinued milk many babies are "dependent on".
Melissa Devine, from Norris Green, was using the Mamia Follow On Milk, Stage 2 for her baby Heidi who is now 13-months-old. The 28-year-old said her daughter was reliant on the milk as she was "really struggling" with being weaned onto cows milk.
To help with this, Melissa said she was using the Aldi Mamia Follow On Milk by putting half formula and half full fat cows milk in the bottle to wean Heidi gradually. However, after visiting her local stores Melissa said she was unable to find the formula and staff were unable to confirm whether they were getting stock.
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She was later told by a manager when they checked Aldi's inhouse system that it had been discontinued at the end of November. Melissa said she wanted to warn other families whose babies may also be reliant on the formula.
Speaking to the ECHO, she said: "The second milk for six to 12 months has literally been taken off the shelves, no prior warning, nothing. Just literally not selling it anymore. There were no posters in the shop , there was no public announcement or anything like that.
"I feel like they could have given families a heads up because I think it is so unfair to discontinue something that is needed by a lot of babies."
She added: "When they reach 12 months, they are meant to go onto cows milk. I have been trying to wean her onto cows milk since she was 10 months, trying to introduce her gradually. But what I was doing with the milk was putting half of the Mamia in and half of the full fat, blue top milk.
"She was trying, I won't lie to you she does not like blue top milk, but she was trying it."
Melissa said she is now struggling to get Heidi to take to a new formula, she added: "Changing the milk is such a big thing [...] changing the milk has brought on so many problems, she's already in allergies and things like that which we're trying to decipher where they are coming from and going through that sort of stage.
"We have had to try her on a new milk now and she completely refuses it. So what we have had to do is get stage one milk from Aldi and thicken it up, just so we can try and introduce Aptamil.
"We are trying to use the one plus years Aptamil, but we're trying to mix the milk together and we're basically forcing her to like it really. We shouldn't really have to. It's not her fault that the milk she is used to is being discontinued. I am so shocked."
Melissa said the family have spent "around £60" on different formulas, she added: "It's not fair because imagine there was a shortage on milk but here's me with four different formulas downstairs, which I can't give away because of heath and safety reasons. The only reason I have done it is as a desperate mother to try and get my baby to get her on a new milk."
Other parents also spoke out about the change on Twitter, one said: "What’s happened to the number two baby milk formula, can’t find it anywhere and got an unhappy nine month old. Please help.”
Another said: "How can this be allowed? Discontinuing baby milk although it’s perfectly safe? Now mums are having to change babies' formula and risk allergies or babies not agreeing with other formulas! What an absolute joke."
While a third parent said: “It’s the only one our grandson can manage but is not available anywhere locally."
Aldi confirmed Mamia Follow On Milk has been discontinued but, Mamia First Infant Milk continues to be sold in all Aldi stores
An Aldi spokesperson said: “Mamia Follow On Milk has been discontinued but, Mamia First Infant Milk continues to be sold in all Aldi stores. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused to our customers by this change.”
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