Tesco putting baby formula in 'security cages' in bid to prevent shoplifting
Baby formula continues to be placed in individual security cages and boxes as supermarkets desperately try to stop shoppers from stealing it.
The cost of baby formula brands including Aptamil has soared in the past two years and some households unable to afford them have been forced to turn to shoplifting. Supermarkets have always had security measures - such as tags - on higher prices items. However, over the last two years, chains have taken further steps to prevent thefts which include tags, displaying empty boxes, and placing them behind counters.
The latest attempt to make them less desirable to thieves is to encase them in mesh bags, tied at the top with an alarm device. The security bag, which is removed by supermarket staff when the customer pays at the tills, sets off an alarm when someone tries to leave the store without paying. The only way to get into the item inside is to cut the bag.
One shopper, who saw the unusual devices on baby milk brands Aptamil, SMA and Hipp, said she was heartbroken because it meant mums and dads were struggling to feed their children. She spotted the new security measures at Tesco Extra in the Swan Shopping Centre in Coventry Road, Birmingham, last week.
She said: "Seeing the security cages encasing the baby formula made my heart sink immediately. For barbaric steps such as caging baby milk to be deemed necessary shows just how deep the cost of living crisis really is and how desperate families are to feed their babies."
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The NHS recommends mothers breastfeed exclusively for six to eight weeks after birth to allow their milk supply to become fully established. After that, the NHS recommends mothers who want to combi-feed replace one of their baby's regular daily feeds with a bottle. However, according to research by the All Party Parliamentary Group, the majority of babies in the UK - two in five babies - were either partially or fully formula-fed by the time they were eight weeks old in 2022-23.
To prevent baby formula from being seen as superior to breast milk, it’s illegal in the UK to advertise it or for retailers to apply discounts or promotions to it. This has meant as prices have skyrocketed - rising by around 25% over the last two years - more and more households are struggling to cover the costs.
The cost of one box of the cheapest formula milk is now greater than the £8.50 a week value of the Healthy Start voucher families receiving qualifying benefits can claim. Mamia First Infant Milk (900g, Aldi) - the cheapest infant formula on the market - has increased from £6.99 to £9.39, a 34% increase over two years, while SMA Little Steps First Infant Milk (800g, Tesco) has gone up from £8.25 to £9.75 - 18% over the same period. Aptamil 1 First Milk (800g) has increased from £11.50 to £14.50, or 26% over two years, but in some shops, it can cost much more.
To support those who are most vulnerable to the price rises, the BPAS suggested there should be a free or subsidised national formula milk created. When approached over the last few years, the majority of retailers and supermarkets said security measures are decided on a store by store basis and they are not company wide measures.
The Mirror has approached Tesco for comment.
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