Metro’s Formula for Change petition reaches 100,000 signatures

Politicians could soon be forced to address the ‘skyrocketing’ costs of baby formula (Picture: Getty Images)

More than 100,000 people have now signed Metro’s Formula for Change petition, which marks a major milestone in our campaign.

With family support charity Feed, we are fighting to help parents find affordable ways to buy baby formula as the cost of living crisis impacts more and more families.

After 10,000 signatures, petitions get a response from the government. When they hit 100,000 signatures, petitions are considered for debate in Parliament – and the Formula For Change campaign has now received over 102,000.

SIGN OUR PETITION HERE

Claie Wilson, Deputy Editor of Metro, says: ‘When we first reported on the skyrocketing costs of formula and the heartbreaking steps people were taking to feed their babies, such as watering the powder down or stealing formula, we knew this was an issue we couldn’t ignore.

‘Baby formula isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity for so many families. Getting over 100,000signatures shows how important the issue is to so many people. It’s huge that we’ve had the likes of Iceland and Mumsnet join our fight, not to mention LadBaby, Michelle Heaton, Monica Lennon MSP and MPs Preet Gill and Wes Streeting. We’re hugely grateful for their support.

‘Now, the government needs to listen and change the archaic rules surrounding formula sales. No baby should be allowed to go hungry because of outdated guidelines and greed.’

We are calling on the government to give retailers the green light to accept loyalty points, all food bank vouchers and store gift cards as payment for infant formula (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

Created with family support charity Feed, the Formula for Change campaign calls on the government to change the rules surrounding on how baby formula can be purchased.

Under current guidelines, it falls into the same category as tobacco and lottery items, and aren’t available to buy with cash alternatives.

As a result, cash-strapped families can’t pay for a tub of baby formula using a loyalty card or coupons and retailers are banned from promoting it in any buy-one-get-one-free deal. Although some supermarkets now allow gift vouchers to be used, not all do. 

Katherine Ryan, Ashley James and Michelle Heaton are among the famous faces who have voiced their support.

Formula can cost up to £15 in supermarkets (Picture: Liudmila Chernetska)

Justine Roberts CBE, founder of Mumsnet, recently wrote in Metro about why she is backing the campaign.

She added: ‘This won’t just ease the cost pressure for many families, it will also help tackle the stigma that comes from grouping formula in a category with lottery products and tobacco.

‘Alongside this, the value of Healthy Start vouchers needs to be increased to cover formula costs, retailers should provide information at the point of sale explaining that all formulas contain the same essential ingredients, and overpricing by manufacturers needs to be looked at.

‘But in the meantime, there are immediate practical steps the government can take to make things easier for families – and they should start with Formula For Change.’

Richard Walker, CEO of Iceland, has also been a staunch supporter of the campaign. Speaking to Metro this week, after the supermarket launched its cheapest brand of baby formula yet, he described the ‘moral obligation’ to help customers.

The dad-of-two told Metro: ‘We’ve heard terrible stories of customers watering down feeds, skipping feeds or ignoring sell by dates, all of which is really bad for the baby. That prompted us to take action.’

Since Formula For Change was launched, it has received the backing of the Labour Party who challenged the ‘outdated’ rules in place and vowed to take action.

The campaign was also awarded the prestigious Making A Difference award, which was voted for by the public, in recognition of our drive for change.