6 days ago
Major supermarket promises to FREEZE formula prices for the rest of the year
A MAJOR supermarket has promised to freeze formula prices for the rest of the year.
Aldi has pledged to freeze the price of its Mamia First Infant Formula for the remainder of 2025.
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Aldi will continue to charge £6.99 for its own label formula.
That is around £5 less than the average price of formula elsewhere in 2024.
Big name brands like Hipp and Cow & Gate cost around £12 at major retailers such as Boots.
The move comes after data from First Steps Nutrition Trust shows that baby formula prices remain close to historic highs, with the most expensive product on the market now priced at £18.
It was also found that the price of baby milk fell only 50p on average last year, to £11.99, compared to £11.10 in 2021 - four years ago.
The trust said new own-brand infant formulas from Aldi and Lidl have been hitting the market with lower price points.
However, prices of eight of the 12 available infant formulas in shops were still "high and static" between April 2024 and May 2025.
Only the remaining four out of 12 available to customers as of this month are less than £8.50.
The report said that the infant formula market overall remains "dominated by expensive products".
The government is yet to publish a response to the recommendations.
Among the measures suggested by the CMA is that the NHS introduce its own non-brand baby formula in a bid to drive prices down.
It has also proposed existing baby milk products be provided in non-branded containers in hospitals to reduce the impact branded products can have while parents are in a "vulnerable" setting.
The CMA has also put forward that packaging should clearly display nutritional information, while any claims that cannot easily be checked by parents are banned.
It said this would make it easier for parents to pick between brands.
The CMA has made no recommendation on a price cap for baby milk, despite higher prices faced by shoppers in recent years.
It comes after the CMA, the regulator, proposed in February several measures which, if confirmed, could save parents buying baby milk around £300 a year.
Julie Ashfield, chief commercial officer at Aldi UK, said: 'Shoppers should not be paying over the odds for the essentials. As the UK's cheapest supermarket, we're committed to keeping prices low on the products our customers rely on most.
'As formula prices remain at historic highs across the market, we want to reassure parents that at Aldi, there will be no unwelcome surprises at the checkout – we're keeping our Mamia First Infant Formula at just £6.99 for at least the remainder of this year.'
All first infant formula must be nutritionally equivalent, but prices can vary due to factors like branding.
