Iceland’s executive chairman Richard Walker has said infant formula is “all the same”, despite his stores selling four different brands at different shelf prices.
Working in partnership with infant feeding charity Feed, the retailer has introduced on-shelf and onlinelabelling to communicate the “nutritional equivalence” of its range of different formula products.
The labels state: “First infant formula (stage 1) is all you need for your baby’s first year. By law, all first infant formulas must include the same ingredients, so all brands are nutritionally equivalent.” They feature Feed’s logo, website address, and a QR code parents can scan for more information.
Iceland has rolled out the labels across 190 Food Warehouse stores and a banner featuring the same messaging on its website.
However, The Grocer understands this messaging is currently being challenged by nutrition industry experts, on the basis that it is the nutritional composition that is comparable between infant formulas, rather than their exact ingredients.
It follows the CMA sharing its final recommendations on infant formula on Friday, which included the suggestion that “information about nutritional sufficiency should be displayed clearly and prominently on shelves and when buying online”.
Speaking to The Grocer, Walker said: “We think parents should know the facts. I didn’t even know – and I sell the stuff – but it turns out [infant formula] is all the same.”
Iceland’s latest initiative with Feed as part of the charity’s ongoing ‘Formula for Change’ initiative was “basically just about giving parents the confidence to make the best choice for their baby without misleading marketing or branding influence”, said Walker.
An essential food
Feed director and co-founder Erin Williams said: “Infant formula is an essential food and the only alternative to breast milk for babies, yet for too long, families have faced unnecessary financial pressure, misinformation, and stigma.
“We’ve long advocated for point-of-sale information on formula, and it’s fantastic to see Iceland stepping up once again as a pioneer in the retail sector.
“This collaboration is an important moment in helping families make informed choices, showing them that the least expensive formulas are just as nutritious as the more expensive ones.”
Iceland currently sells four different brands of first infant formula at different prices: SMA Little Steps (rsp: £7.95/800g), Kendamil (rsp: £9.25/800g), Cow & Gate (rsp: £9.75/800g) and Aptamil (rsp: £11.20/800g).
Walker said he “hadn’t spoken” to Iceland’s infant formula suppliers about the changes to shelf-edge messaging before announcing it on Friday.
50 years of research
When approached by The Grocer, a spokesman for Cow & Gate and Aptamil owner Danone said: “Our formulas build on 50 years of studying the composition of breast milk and its associated benefits.
“We believe parents should be able to select the formula that suits their family best, and it’s important that they have access to accurate and scientifically proven information about them.
“All baby formulas must meet minimum regulatory requirements. However, extensive investment in research & development, and the fact that sources and quantities of ingredients vary, mean that not all formula milks have the same nutritional benefits.”
A spokeswoman for SMA owner Nestlé said: “It is vital that families can make well-informed feeding decisions for their babies.
“We want to be part of the ongoing conversation about how these recommendations and other measures can get the best possible outcomes for them.”
The Grocer has approached Kendamil for comment.
Shelf prices
Iceland was the first retailer to announce it would reduce the shelf price of Aptamil formula after owner Danone lowered the wholesale price by 7.1% in January 2024. It reduced the price of Aptamil First Infant Milk, Follow-on Milk and Toddler Milk 1+ Year by 6.7% – from £12 to £11.20.
Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose all slashed the price of the same lines by 6.9%, from £14.50 to £13.50, in the same month.
They were followed by Lidl, which dropped its Aptamil formula prices by 6.6%, from £12.69 to £11.85, in March. Shelf prices on Aptamil’s First Infant Milk in these retailers have remained stable ever since, according to Assosia data used in The Grocer’s Key Value Items tracker [52 w/e 13 February 2025].
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