Parents set to save hundreds on baby formula in new crackdown
The Prime Minister said the government was ready to do more to help parents access baby food “at more affordable prices”.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir Starmer told the House of Commons that the schemes would help parents save up to £500 by the child’s first birthday.
“Our budget took important measures against the cost of living.
“That’s why we’ve frozen rail fares, prescription charges and cut energy bills by £150 for every family.
“Today we are going even further.
“For too long parents have been forced to spend more than necessary on baby food, told they were paying for better quality food and spent hundreds of pounds out of pocket.
“Today I can announce that we are changing that.
“We will take action to give parents and carers the confidence to access baby food at more affordable prices by providing clearer guidance for retailers and helping new parents use loyalty points and vouchers.
“All together this will save them up to £500 by their child’s first birthday.”
The Prime Minister said the plan builds on the Government’s “action to lift half a million children out of poverty” and is ahead of the Government’s Child Poverty Strategy.
The aim of this change is to help those who cannot or choose not to breastfeed their babies and to reduce child poverty.
The announcement follows a study published by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) earlier this year, which identified widespread problems such as misleading marketing, information gaps and significant cost burdens on low-income families.
The NHS could have its own unbranded baby food to help reduce prices, officials have said.
It also said existing products should be provided in unbranded containers in hospitals to reduce brand influence when parents are in a “vulnerable” environment.
The CMA said packaging should clearly display nutritional information, while claims that cannot be easily checked by parents should be banned.
He said this would make it easier for parents to choose between brands.
Regulators have previously stated that prices have risen 25 percent in the past two years, with increased factory costs being passed on to consumers.
The industry is dominated by just three companies, Danone, Kendall and Nestle, which account for nearly 90 percent of the market.
However, the CMA stopped short of recommending a ceiling price, which it said it was investigating last year.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said in a statement: “New parents want the best for their babies and it is wrong that vague messages on packages leave families out of pocket for an essential item.
“It is not right that manufacturers can package these products in a way that plays on the instincts of new parents trying to do the right thing for their children.
“These new measures mean parents will have confidence in the formula they buy, regardless of price, and can now also make the most of supermarket loyalty programmes.
“This will put hundreds of pounds back into the pockets of parents who can spend that money on their children, on their siblings, on basic needs around the house, and it’s just one of the ways this government can end child poverty.”
NCT (National Childbirth Trust) chief executive Angela McConville said the Government “could go further”.
He said: “Stronger rules on labeling and advertising are still needed, including a pre-approval process for all baby food labels to ensure claims are accurate and not misleading.
“We also wanted to see brand influence completely removed from healthcare settings with standardized labeling wherever parents receive nutrition information or support.”
