Three supermarket giants make major changes to baby formula after shake-up is branded a ‘moral obligation’

THREE major supermarkets have made a big change to baby formula – after it was labelled a “moral obligation”.

Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Aldi are the latest supermarkets to join frozen food giant Iceland in slashing the prices of formula.

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Tesco has announced that it will be reducing the price of 1.2kg boxes of Cow & Gate by to £12, and 1.2kg tubs of Aptamil to £16.

The food giant has claimed that this move makes both types of baby formula “cheaper per kg than any other major UK supermarket”.

These cuts come alongside slashes to 800g tubs of SMA Little Steps infant formula, which are now £7.95 from £9.75.

Tesco’s chief commercial officer Ashwin Prasad said: “We’re very focused on reducing the cost of the weekly shop for our customers, and we know that it can be particularly tough for those with young families who have all those additional expenses that come with welcoming a new baby.

“That’s why, today, we have cut the prices of baby milk formula across different pack sizes and brands to help those new parents who need to buy milk formula stretch their budgets a little further.”

Aldi has also slashed the price of its Mamia Infant First Formula – customers can now buy the supermarket’s own-brand formula for just £8.49.

At this price, the 900g tubs have maintained the title of “the lowest priced formula milk available on the market”.

Aldi remains the only supermarket in the UK that offers own-label infant formula.

Aldi’s managing director of buying Julie Ashfield said: “New parents have to make hard choices about how to spend their money, but Aldi’s Mamia range provides the best quality products for the early stages of parenting, at an unbeatable price.”

Sainsbury’s has also recently added all of its Little Ones own brand baby range into its Aldi Price Match scheme.

A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s said: “We know families are still finding things tough and we’re working harder than ever to reduce our costs, putting the money back into our customers’ pockets through lower prices on the products they buy most often.”

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) recently revealed that formula prices had risen by 25 per cent over the past two years.

The regulator has been investigating the baby milk market after finding it was vulnerable to higher-than-inflation price rises.

It also revealed that the baby formula market was dominated by just two companies – who totalled 85 per cent of sales.

Parents could save more than £500 over the first year of a baby’s life by buying cheaper formula options, although very few switched when prices rose.

The news comes just a week after Iceland slashed the price of SMA baby formula powder – making it the cheapest chain to sell the brand at the time.

Richard Walker, executive chairman of Iceland Foods, said: “Families with babies are still struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and we have a moral obligation to take action. 

“That is why we are heaping further pressure on the manufacturers, the regulators and the market as a whole to bring prices down, just like Iceland is doing.”

You can compare prices on websites like Google Shopping and Trolley.co.uk – which compares the prices of 130,000 products across 14 major supermarkets.

Last week The Sun had a look at the cheapest places to buy various big-name brands to help you compare costs.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk