Iceland boss Richard Walker joined the call for a change in advertising laws that currently ban retailers from promoting price reductions on baby formula products.
The appeal comes as the supermarket revealed it was cutting the price of 13 lines of branded infant formula by up to 20%, as part of its £26m investment into lowering prices in 2023.
However, current legislation prevents manufacturers and retailers from including infant formulas in price promotions or other activities aimed at increasing its sale.
“Infant milk – this week, we have communicated about these significant price drops…which is actually illegal,” the executive chairman said in a post on X – formerly Twitter – on Wednesday.
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Infant milk – this week, we have communicated about these significant price drops…which is actually illegal. We are prohibited from telling customers about price drops on infant formula. This seems archaic during a cost of living crisis? We need a change in legislation so…
— Richard Walker (@icelandrichard) August 16, 2023
The Infant Formula, Follow-on Formula Regulations 2007 was passed through parliament to ensure the marketing of formula milk did not discourage breastfeeding.
The legislation also limits how retailers can advertise the formula products in store.
Iceland said it still endorsed breastfeeding, yet rising costs were “placing unbearable pressure on parents who choose to or have no alternative” to using formula milk.
“More and more parents across the country are living in fear about being able to feed their babies, and they don’t feel supermarkets are doing enough to help them,” Walker said.
“At Iceland we’re just not willing to have that on our conscience. Reducing the price on formula is the right thing to do to support our customers.”
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