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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Reducing the price of first formula milk

115 replies

starsintheireyes · 23/02/2012 10:07

Please can someone link me to to some info about this, I was 99% certain its illegal to discount first milk in shops yet my local store is selling sma gold for 20p

OP posts:
ButHeNeverDid · 23/02/2012 10:08

So are you wanting to report them?

Have you got nothing better to do?

wannaBe · 23/02/2012 10:11

so what? get a life.

OTTMummA · 23/02/2012 10:12

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

worldgonecrazy · 23/02/2012 10:13

It is illegal to offer reduced price milk for those ranges that are sold as 'first milk' or for under 6 months, as it comes under 'promotion' and it is illegal to promote first milk. Many shop owners and workers don't actually know this so it is probably a genuine mistake.

The law is supposed to help support breastfeeding, I think it just gives ammunition to the anti-breastfeeders as most people don't understand why the law is in place.

mousymouseafraidofdogs · 23/02/2012 10:13

you can report it to the office of fair trading. or just tell the store manager to abide by the law.

SecretNutellaFix · 23/02/2012 10:14

it is illegal.
Is it in the yellow or blue carton? or does it say SMA gold system on a red carton?

MamaMaiasaura · 23/02/2012 10:17

Starsineyes - on first instance i would speak to the shop as they may not be aware. I think it's right to pick up on it and the legislation is there for a good reason. No need for nastiness to OP.

OTTMummA · 23/02/2012 10:17

just because some people do not agree with a law, doesn't mean they do not understand why it has been put in place Hmm

SecretNutellaFix · 23/02/2012 10:19

there's still no call for rudeness.

MamaMaiasaura · 23/02/2012 10:20

Ditto - no need to be so rude

Original poster
starsintheireyes · 23/02/2012 10:28

God how rude are some of you!! Do you have some issues around breastfeeding??

fyi I work in healthcare, and have done a yr of my midwifery degree so I am passionate about breastfeeding etc. Yes its definately first milk, sma gold stage 1.

OP posts:
wannaBe · 23/02/2012 10:30

the law is wrong.

SecretNutellaFix · 23/02/2012 10:32

so you consider a law that is there to protect the health of vulnerable children is wrong?

SoupDragon · 23/02/2012 10:32

OTTMummA, you may like to report yourself whilst you are about it. That was nasty and uncalled for.

MamaMaiasaura · 23/02/2012 10:37
oranges123 · 23/02/2012 10:42

Why would you report it? A few people feeding their babies formula for whatever reason will save a bit of money - how is that a bad thing? Saving a few pence on formula isn't going to make someone who is breastfeeding their baby suddenly decide to buy formula.

Infant formula is outrageously expensive and the only people benefitting from it are the formula companies.

If there needs to be a law it should be one forcing companies to sell infant forumla at a lower price WITHOUT offering discounts.

oranges123 · 23/02/2012 10:47

PS I am very pro-breastfeeding but for various reasons ended up formula feeding and I just don't think from what I have read here and elsewhere that keeping formula prices artifically high is solving the high FF rates in this country.

ElphabaisWicked · 23/02/2012 10:50

For what its worth I formula fed my daughter from birth and due to difficulties mixed fed my son for 6 weeks.

It is illegal to discount first formula unless it is a permanent discount. The reasoning behind it is to stop a price war between commercial formula companies, mums should choose to formula feed knowing twhat the price is going to be and choose a brand knowing what the price will be without having a huge shock a month or so down the line.

I would personally like to see cheap, generic unbranded formula available to all that need it but its never going to happen due to the comapnies wanting to make the most profit.

ButHeNeverDid · 23/02/2012 10:50

starsintheireyes - why would we have an any issues about breastfeeding?

If is clearly you that has the issue with ff.

Each to their own as far as I'm concerned.

wannaBe · 23/02/2012 10:53

"so you consider a law that is there to protect the health of vulnerable children is wrong?" I consider a law that penalises women for not breastfeeding is wrong.

And in a society where people are struggling financially it could be argued that children are being made vulnerable by a law that states that their mothers need to pay over-inflated prices for the inability to breastfeed.

It has nothing to do with protecting the health of vulnerable babies.

so yes, the law is wrong.

ElphabaisWicked · 23/02/2012 10:57

The problem is the companies and shops will not permantly discount.

They do a temporary special offer to draw you in to a particular brnad them boomph.

Does anyone remember the hoo har a few years ago when Farley had a complete rebrand and the price of their formula suddenly zoomed without warning and wtihout giving ff mums much of a choice apart from to try and switch brands which often unsettles a baby.

The only people keeping formula prices artifically high are the formula companies themselves.

stressheaderic · 23/02/2012 11:00

20p, really? Is it out of date?
I've never seen it sold at a reduced price anywhere ever.

ButHeNeverDid · 23/02/2012 11:02

I think it is very patronising to view ff women as unable to realise that the price of discounted formula can go up just like the price of discounted dishwasher tablets - we all understand how dicounting works in supermarkets.

Plus, I am not sure how much of a problem changing formula is - I think it is myth to worry ff mums and encourage brand loyalty.

We travelled across North America and Europe with babies and switched brands frequently as each country seems to have its own range. It was never a problem.

LikeAnAdventCandleButNotQuite · 23/02/2012 11:08

20p? Am I right in thinking it's those little cartons, then, rather than the tins (normally 8.99)?

It is illegal, and even as a FFer I totally understand why first milk is not 'promoted' in adverts and in special offers, but it is always nice to get a bargain....this shop....is it in the North East? Could stock up!