Families have resorted to stealing baby formula because of rising prices, ministers have been warned. SNP MP Alison Thewliss told the Commons that the price of formula is “one of the most worrying increases” as the cost-of-living crisis continues.
MPs also heard that baby formula has been security tagged or kept behind the shop counter to deter theft. Glasgow Central MP Ms Thewliss told the Commons: “One of the most worrying increases in food prices is for infant formula, some of which is now so expensive it is security tagged and kept behind the till because families have resorted to stealing it.
“What is the Government doing to make sure that infant formula is available to families who need it? Because at this price many cannot afford it at all.”
Cabinet Office minister Kit Malthouse replied: “Obviously we are monitoring all prices, particularly in vital areas like formula, very closely and I know she will welcome therefore the support that is going to eight million houses on means-tested benefits starting from today, with another instalment in the future coming this autumn on top of the assistance that has already been given. We have put something like £37 billion now into the system to assist families, but we constantly keep these things under review and will act if needed.”
In response to the cost-of-living crisis, £650 is being given out to struggling families in receipt of certain means-tested benefits. The first Government cost of living payment of £326 is being given out on Thursday, with the second payment of £324 scheduled for the autumn.
Ms Thewliss told the PA news agency outside the Commons: “The increasing cost of infant formula is a real issue for many families right now – it’s an essential that they simply cannot cut back on. The response from Kit Malthouse lacks urgency. The UK Government must act now to ensure families who need infant formula can afford to access it.
“A good start would be increasing the money available to families, as Scotland has done through the Scottish child payment, and scrapping the two-child limit in Universal Credit which now affects 359,000 households and 1.3 million children.”
Even before the cost of living crisis the rising costs of formula were a concern.
In 2018 the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Infant Feeding and Inequalities said that families on tight budgets could resort to unsafe practices in order to feed their babies, such as skipping feeds, watering down formula or adding cereal.
At the time, the price of formula could range from £6.44 to £13.52 per week for powdered varieties and between £24.47 and £32.20 for ready-to-feed products. But the report said marketing and advertising had a significant influence on families’ choice of infant formula in spite of the fact that all infant formula must have a composition that conforms to UK regulations.
One parent told the inquiry: “Formula is incredibly expensive, we struggled at times when we reached the end of my maternity pay.”
Another said: “We are both professionals in public sector jobs, I imagine it’s almost impossible for low income families to cope with the costs. Families will be buying formula with the food shop and it will inevitably be affecting how much they can pay for food.”
The report recommended that the Government should set up an independent body to regularly review data on infant feeding in the UK and work across departments to ensure that the needs of infants are considered in any changes to welfare, immigration rules, benefits and health and social care services.
It also called for the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes to be brought into UK law to remove advertising of breastmilk substitutes to the general public and to ensure that health services are free from conflicts of interests.
And it said public health messaging is needed to make it clear that there is no significant nutritional difference between brands of first infant formula and that they must all conform to the same compositional regulations.
Dr Helen Crawley, director of the First Steps Nutrition Trust and author of the report, said at the time: “There are many different types of infant formula marketed for babies and young children, which can be very confusing when you see them on the supermarket shelf, but the information you need as a parent or carer is really quite simple.
“The majority of infants who are formula-fed should be given a first infant milk throughout their first year.
“Due to UK regulations all first infant milk, regardless of brand or price, must conform to the same compositional regulations.”
The APPG’s chairwoman Alison Thewliss said: “We need to make sure parents are protected from misleading marketing and advertising and can access impartial, trusted information.
“For too long, powerful multi-national companies have been pushing the boundaries and circumventing existing legislation to promote their products to parents and families.
“The more we see new aggressive marketing techniques, the more we see ever higher prices for formula milk, which is ultimately borne by the consumer.
“We urgently need more research and investigation to find out what is happening nationally with infant feeding practices where food insecurity is already known to be a serious issue.”
Sue Ashmore, Unicef UK Baby Friendly Director, said: “Infant formula is extremely expensive and can be a significant proportion of a family’s weekly food budget.
“In a period where the cost of living has increased, but the wages in people’s pockets and healthy start vouchers have not kept pace, families are making difficult choices of going without in order to feed their children.
“This also sits in the context of cuts to community groups, children’s centres and breastfeeding support projects. Families need access to reliable sources of information as well as continued face-to-face support in order to make the best decisions for feeding their babies.”
