Major supermarkets slashing cost of baby formula - full list of price cuts

07 March 2024 , 10:54

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Iceland kicked off the price war in January this year and called for a change in the law around the pricing of baby formula (Image: Getty Images/Image Source)

Major UK supermarkets are slashing the price of their baby formula with further cuts from expected.

Sainsbury's, Tesco and Aldi have all announced cuts to their baby formula following the move made by frozen supermarket Iceland earlier this year. Tesco is reducing the price of 1.2kg tubs of Aptamil baby formula by £1 to £16 and 1.2kg boxes of Cow & Gate by 50p to £12.

Tesco claims the move makes both formula products “cheaper per kg than any other major UK supermarket”. Alongside this, Tesco are cutting the price of its 800g tubs of SMA Little Steps infant formula from £9.75 to £7.95, and Cow & Gate 2 follow-on milk 800g tubs falling from £10.50 to £9.65.

The discount supermarket Aldi - which is the only UK supermarket chain which has its own-label infant formula - has pushed through a second price cut this week to its Mamia Infant First Formula. At the moment you can pick up its own-brand 900g product for £8.49. Aldi says the move maintains it as the “lowest priced formula milk available on the market." Sainsbury’s has also recently added all of its Little Ones own brand baby range into its Aldi Price Match scheme - although this does not include formula products.

Earlier this year, Iceland called for a change in this law highlighting that the cost of living was putting immense pressure on families and many were struggling to cover the cost of formula. An official statement from Richard Walker, executive chairman of Iceland 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.”

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In January, Asda and Tesco followed Iceland in reducing the cost of Aptamil after manufacturer Danone agreed to a 7% price cut to retailers. Asda also said it would let customers pay for baby formula using their rewards scheme vouchers for the first time.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is currently conducting a market study into formula supply following findings last November of an initial review into the sector. It also recently revealed that formula prices had risen by 25% over the past two years and while prices have dropped since November, they remained “at historically high levels”. The CMA plans to publish a final report in September this year.

In the UK, new mothers are encouraged by NHS healthcare professionals to breastfeed their newborn babies - guidance recommends that babies are exclusively breastfed for the first year of their lives. 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. There are also restrictions on being able to use loyalty points or vouchers to pay for it in shops.