The Government has been urged to crack down on the "exploitative" marketing practices of baby formula companies that are misleading new parents with inflated prices and unfounded health claims.
Liberal Democrat MP Jess Brown-Fuller, chairwoman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Infant Feeding, said firms are exploiting legal loopholes to circumvent advertising rules whilst offering discounted products to hospitals. This gives parents the false impression of an NHS recommendation, the Chichester MP warned.
Formula prices soar 25%
Her concerns follow a Competition and Markets Authority report published earlier this year that highlighted misleading marketing, information gaps and cost impacts on low-income families. Formula manufacturers increased prices by an average of 25% in the two years up to November 2023, with costs remaining at near record highs.
Parents often believe that a higher price tag means a more nutritious formula for their baby, despite regulations requiring all formula on the market to be nutritionally equivalent. Brown-Fuller told the PA news agency that some parents are even buying expensive formula but using fewer scoops per bottle to make it last longer, which she branded "dangerous".
Marketing claims lack evidence
"There are parents who believe that by buying the more expensive formula, they are supporting their child's feeding or growth or potential more when actually all of those milks are nutritionally equivalent," Brown-Fuller said. She noted there is "no difference" between a £14 tub and £7 tub of formula.
Companies use packaging to "imply a nutritional superiority" with phrases like "nutritionally complete" or "supports a healthy immune system". Brown-Fuller questioned where the evidence suggests any formula provides an immune system boost above others.
Legal loopholes exploited
Meanwhile, other formulas highlight added ingredients like Omega 3, certain vitamins or iron. Brown-Fuller explained these nutrients must be included anyway under strict compliance codes, and additional ingredients "potentially shouldn't be in there".
Whilst it is illegal to advertise newborn formula in the UK, firms can advertise follow-on milk for babies six months and older. This regulation exists because World Health Organisation guidance states breast milk should be the main nutrition source until six months, with advertising restrictions linked to higher breastfeeding rates.
Hospital marketing concerns
However, formula companies exploit this loophole by advertising follow-on milk whilst making "all their packaging look exactly the same to anybody that was just perusing the shelves". Brown-Fuller said they have "totally blurred the lines through similar branding".
Another "exploitative" practice involves selling formula to healthcare environments like maternity units at hugely reduced prices. Purchase habits show strong brand loyalty, with parents rarely switching brands once introduced, creating what Brown-Fuller called a "fake impression of an NHS endorsement".
Government response awaited
The CMA has put forward 11 recommendations to address these issues, including strengthening labelling rules, better informing parents and eliminating brand influence in healthcare settings through standardised packaging. The UK scores just 48 out of 100 on infant-feeding metrics according to the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the Government is "determined to ensure every child has the best start to life" as part of its Plan for Change. They confirmed officials are working with devolved governments to "carefully consider the CMA's recommendations and will respond fully in due course".
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
