It is an incredibly sensitive topic for many parents on how best to feed their baby and I cannot help feeling that whilst this study is well-intentioned, investment to support parents (and, in particular, mothers) with their feeding choices would have been better spent elsewhere. Expectant parents are barraged with advice from health professionals and friends and family as to how they should be feeding their baby, but in my experience not enough practical support post-partum is then given to help them with their choices (whatever they may be) and the advice that is given is often tainted by judgment. It is little wonder that the CMA has found that consumers buying infant milk are particularly vulnerable and feel pressure to buy "the best" often because they feel guilt or are under time-pressure. 

Having recently completed its investigation of the infant formula milk market, the CMA has made recommendations aimed at better outcomes for parents, both in terms of the choices they make and the prices they pay.

The formula milk market has several specific features that distinguish it from other consumer goods markets. It is tightly regulated for public health reasons. In addition, parents are often in vulnerable circumstances when they first make choices about whether and which infant formula to use, their brand choice is often based on incomplete or unclear information, and they are typically then reluctant to switch brands. Against this backdrop, manufacturers place significant emphasis on building their brands, rather than competing strongly on price. Price competition between retailers has typically been weak because of restrictions on advertising and price promotion (and a lack of price sensitivity from parents), among other things.

The CMA heard concerns that parents on lower incomes are more likely to formula feed. This means that they are disproportionately affected by infant formula pricing. However, the cost of formula can have a sizeable impact on parents' finances generally. The CMA says that parents could make a saving of around £300 over a baby's first year of life by switching from a popular mid-priced product to a low-priced brand.

The CMA has therefore made four key recommendations:

Removing brand influence in healthcare settings: Parents should be provided with timely, clear, accurate and impartial information on nutritional sufficiency of infant formula products as early as possible. Where parents are given infant formula in healthcare settings, labelling should be standardised to reduce the influence of branding on their decision-making. (Personally, I would rather time be spent elsewhere by NHS professionals than switching out labels on infant milk but perhaps this is something that can be done higher up the supply chain) 

Equipping parents with the right information when they are shopping: Information about nutritional sufficiency should be displayed clearly and prominently on shelves and when buying online. Instore, all brands of infant formula should be displayed together and separately from other formula milks to enable quick and easy price comparisons.

Strengthening labelling and advertising rules: All packaging should clearly display information on nutritional sufficiency. Claims that are intangible, or cannot be easily checked by parents, should be banned. Perhaps controversially, the CMA has said that advertising (including price promotions and deals) for follow-on milks (those for babies over six months old) should be banned. To help shops, manufacturers and enforcers, government should clarify what constitutes 'advertising', outlining exactly what shops and manufacturers can and cannot do regarding formula milks. The CMA says that parents should be allowed to use gift cards, vouchers, loyalty points, and coupons to purchase infant formula.

Effectively enforce current and future rules: Strengthen the roles played by relevant authorities so they must approve the packaging of all infant formula products before sale. Currently, companies can put products onto the market before the relevant authority has reviewed the label.

Nutrition law is an area of devolved competency, and responsibility for legislating in relation to infant formula sits with the UK's devolved nations.  Therefore, the CMA has made its recommendations to the UK, Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh governments.  Given the questionable steer from governments that regulatory restrictions on price promotions of infant formula support breastfeeding, the CMA is not recommending removing this ban at this stage, but will consider this option if asked in future.