..to think milk formula companies shouldn't price-fix?

[gallicgirl]

We initially used Aptamil as we believed the drippy nurse who told us it was most like breast milk, then had reflux issues to swapped to SMA staydown milk which was slightly less than the Aptamil I think. Now been prescribed infant gaviscon so we've swapped to normal SMA. The first few tins we bought were around the £7.50 mark so we were pleased that we were spending a bit less. Every penny counts and all that.

However, just been to buy some more formula and it was £8.99 in Morrisons. It was also £8.99 in Tesco yesterday. Just checked online and it's £8.99 at Sainsbury's, Asda and Boots (obviously it's more in Mothercare). When I've bought the SMA before it's been slightly different prices in different shops. I know food prices have gone up and shops can't offer discounts and the like, but I'm suspicious that it's exactly the same price in every store.

It's a 20% price rise!!! I can't believe that wholesale costs have risen that much.

It's mad isn't it.

No discounting (price competition) allowed on food suitable for the child's first year and those not breastfeeding therefore forced to pay higher than necessary prices.

After that first year, many parents make need to savings and end up buying cheaper sugar/fat laden less healthy food because the government hasn't figure out how to tax unhealthy stuff more heavily in comparison to healthy stuff without puuting poorer familiies back into poverty.

Consider a cash strapped family with a toddler and a formula fed baby (let's not get into "the mother should breastfeed to save money", may be she has to go back to work after a very short maternity leave). If the price of a tub of formula was £3 less that would be extra money for healthier food options for the parents and the toddler.

No, women are to be persuaded by every means possible (carrot and stick) into breastfeeding.

Allowing temporary discounting won't bring prices down overall though. They could still lower prices if they wanted to but they won't!

You might wish to know that all products have been hit by a minimum 5% inflation rate...

Maybe the formula manufacturers actually like that it can't be discounted - more money for them and what a lovely excuse! After all, it's not like parents buy more or less because of the cost. Or maybe I'm just a bit cynical about these things . . . .

I agree thetideis high I can go in to Tescos buy 3 packs of sweets for £1.20, a pack of buns for £1, packs of biscuits for 38p, 12 tins of fizzy drink on offer, bloody dairylea lunchables on offer, 20% of 6 bottles of wine etc but God forbid I should be able to get SMA Gold for less than £9 and don't even start me on not being allowed to use my loyalty vouchers to buy a tin.

Supermarket competition on other items has led to fairly permanent proce reductions until the recent inflationary rises and supply/demand price rises due to commodity prices increases.

There is no reason to believe it couldn't have driven formula milk prices down too. Less income from formula milk might mean reduced advertising budgets for the producers of it too, which might help the pro-breastfeeding lobby.

It's had a 20% price increase though.

I really am tempted to email SMA and the major supermarkets and ask them to explain their pricing policy. I know they won't reveal their profit margin and I'll just get a load of PR bollocks back but I think they need to know that we do notice prices and it does have an impact. I might be alone voice in the wilderness but I like to poke the biggest monsters.

Worldgonecrazy, I've known cash strapped parents eek out the formula by making bottles up with less powder than they should. So they do effectively get away with buying a teeny bit less, baby just goes a bit hungry at each feed until they can buy the next tin of formula.

I've also known early introduction of cows milk based on running out of formula. High formula prices also encourage the possibility of early weaning in cash strapped families.

I used to assess companies compliance with the WHO guidance for publication of violations, and as others have said, they are not allowed to include formula in promotions, or cost reduction. While a retailer could permanently lower prices and stay within the guidance, it really would not be considered best practice, so that is why its pretty much the same price at every store.

I very much doubt that banning all advertising (not just 0-6 months infant formula) would make any difference in cost price as other industries where advertising has been banned have not seen a retail cost reduction. Also, as said previously, it is unlikely to sway a viewpoint.

From a personal point of view, I had to FF my DD due to taking medication that would be harmful to her if passed on in breastmilk. I would have hated to have to get the formula through prescription and have no personal choice. Can you imagine the extra messing about to get repeat prescriptions, going to certain chemists, getting additional sign offs which you really would not need with the addition of a new baby.

Compared to other costs (nappies, wipes, baby equipment etc), not to mention the weekly food bill for myself, I think formula is a reasonable amount of money to the weekly budget, but I may be out of touch with others on that, so my apologies.

gallicgirl I did e-mail SMA, I'll post their reply.

Dear Mrs Wiggles,

Thank you for contacting the SMA Careline regarding the price of SMA products.

The price on shelf is always decided by the individual retailer. As of 3rd May 2011, Pfizer Nutrition has introduced a price increase on certain products to trade customers. This is to reflect investment in innovation and product development to advance the quality of formulations within our SMA Advanced Gold System range of products. We have also invested in an improved packaging design incorporating new features such as an easy peel foil and a handy scoop levelling bar.

In addition, key ingredients within our formulas have experienced significant increases in cost, reflecting global component price increases. Pfizer Nutrition works hard to provide excellent quality products at an affordable cost.
Pfizer Nutrition is focused on advancing the nutritional quality of its products. We are confident that SMA First Infant Milk with its improved fat blend and protein quality reflects up to date scientific research and provides complete nutrition for babies who are not breastfed.

We hope you understand that while we try and absorb costs increases as much as possible, our constant investment in product and packaging improvement and rising costs of goods and services will sometimes make these unavoidable. Pfizer Nutrition is committed to provide excellent quality products at an affordable cost.

I hope you find this information suitable for your needs but should you have any further questions please feel free to contact the SMA Careline again.

we had to use omneo comfirt for number 1, which was ofcourse the most expensive at the time. (I'm sure he did it on purpose) Our baby clinic never sold formula - is this a new thing?

SMA is currently £7.98 at my local Co-op if thats any use to anyone :)

DuH! I mean obviously its no use that its my local shop unless you live next door to me! BUt....if you have a co-op near you then it may be worth checking :o

The price of formula in Italy is obscene! I wonder whether this has actually resulted in a higher rate of breastfeeding or not? Probably not. I would also worry that with prices that high people might be tempted to make their own formulas with dried milk etc or to wean dangerously early?

Well done Wiggles.

I have to admit that's more information than I was expecting and they have at least admitted that they've increased the wholesale cost.

I shall enjoy using the little scraper bar, happy in the knowledge that I'm paying an extra £1.50 for the privilege of not having to get a knife out of the cupboard.

I should just get over myself, shouldn't I?

gallicgirl No, I was sitting on my hands when typing the e-mail to them, trying to avoid thanking them for making the new tub so pretty

I found this survey from 2005 which shows rates of BF and smoking since 1990.

www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/breastfeed2005/InfantFeedingSurvey190506_PDF.pdf

Although rates of BF are increasing slightly, there wasn't a jump after the legislation was introduced in 1995. In addition to socio-economic background, age and education also play a large part in the incidence of BF. It splits the rates down by country too and Northern Ireland does have low rates of BF as an earlier poster suggested. the info in that particular survey suggests the legislation regarding price has little impact on BF rates.

And this is a pretty old document explaining that the UK doesn't implement the WHO recommendations on FF advertising. It does have historical rates of BF.

www.babyfeedinglawgroup.org.uk/resources/whychangelaw.html

Not sure where I'm going with that one, to be honest. >

wiggles that's a pretty reasonable answer from their CS department. The wholesale price of skimmed milk powder, which is the major ingredient of formula, has increased by 30% over the past year so it's not at all suprising that we are seeing prices go up for the end user too.

I think we also have to accept that a certain degree of money will go on marketing their product, every commercial company in the world spends a lot of money on advertising. I think the formula companies sometimes get a raw deal, they are put in the same league as tobacco companies or drugs barons by some! They sell a product that there is a demand for, and yes they make money out of it, in the same way that mothercare make profits out of selling babygros or pampers make money out of selling nappies etc etc.