NHS-brand baby formula could tackle price rise, watchdog says

The government could offer its own low-cost baby formula under a brand such as the NHS to combat the high prices and lack of choice in the market, the UK competition watchdog has suggested.

- Mark Sweney

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said another "backstop" measure could be for the government to regulate and set a price or profit-margin cap on retailers as a way to bring prices down.

The potential measures formed part of the CMA's interim report on the infant formula market after the watchdog identified that a lack of competition in the market led to soaring prices, taking advantage of an ingrained belief among parents that higher cost equates to better quality.