Supermarket makes major change to be first to tackle baby formula stigma

A high street supermarket has joined forces with Metro’s Formula For Change campaign in partnership with charity Feed, to be the first to display evidence-based information on infant formula nutrition to shoppers.

Iceland has launched the latest move in its campaign to reduce the cost of baby formula in the market.

Working with leading infant feeding charity, Feed, the grocery giant has created the first-ever on-shelf and online labelling that gives the information to shoppers.

The new labels will be available online and in more than 190 The Food Warehouse stores, making it clear to parents that all first infant formulas are nutritionally equivalent, regardless of brand or price.

Dr Erin Williams from Feed said: ‘It’s crucial that we share public health messaging about formula with women and families in an accessible and digestible way.

‘Our collaboration with Iceland means that this information is available when women and families need it most – when they are buying formula – and supports them to make informed infant feeding choices. It’s a real win for Formula for Change and we hope other retailers will follow Iceland’s lead.’

Metro Deputy Editor Claie Wilson added: ‘This is a huge win for Formula For Change in easing potential concerns surrounding formula nutrition and making it more accessible to everyone. Iceland has been brilliant about taking the first steps with us in making change and we’re so grateful for their support.’

Richard Walker, Executive Chairman of Iceland Foods said: ‘At Iceland, we’ve been clear that parents shouldn’t have to pay over the odds for essential baby formula.

‘We’ve already taken bold steps to bring prices down, but this next phase is about making sure parents have the facts.

‘All first infant formulas are nutritionally the same, and families deserve to know that. This on-shelf labelling initiative as part of Formula for Change is about delivering transparency, fairness, and real change in the formula market.

This new partnership is a key step in Feed and Metro’s Formula for Change campaign, which tackles formula feeding stigma and advocates for transparency on the nutritional equivalency of formula products.

It builds on Iceland’s efforts to make infant formula more affordable, having already led the way in driving price reductions across the market when it launched the cheapest formula last year and forced other retailers to drop their prices as a result.

Last week, MPs gathered in Westminster to throw their support behind Metro’s Formula for Change campaign with charity Feed, calling for infant formula milk to be more affordable and accessible.

At a parliamentary drop-in event held by Labour MP for Blackpool South Chris Webb, the MP showed his support for Metro’s campaign at an event he put on to encourage peers to push for legislative change to help families buy formula.

With costs soaring by 25% in the past two years, desperate parents have been reduced to watering down formula and even stealing tubs off shop shelves, to ensure their babies get fed.

Speaking to Metro, Webb said: ‘It’s expensive and there are so many barriers.

‘I’ve seen this in Blackpool – and myself becoming a new dad – parents asking money for formula, borrowing money for tins, as they can’t get through the month.

‘We want to make it that little bit more accessible by working with government, suppliers, supermarkets and food banks.’

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