New report: Current formula marketing practices in the UK: Why stronger rules are needed

On 17 July 2025, First Steps Nutrition Trust published a comprehensive report documenting the pervasive and evolving marketing practices by commercial milk formula manufacturers and retailers in the UK to show why stronger, enforced regulations are needed to protect all babies and families in the UK. We summarised the report in a 3 page brief, pictured above.
 
While we are waiting on the government response to the Competition and Markets Authority’s recommendations on the formula market, we are observing in real-time how the CMF manufacturers, with well-resourced marketing teams can be agile and responsive to any messaging that may criticise their products and their marketing practices, adapting their marketing strategies as a way of reassuring consumers. This approach is unhelpful to parents and caregivers, and clearly not aligned with the recommendations from the CMA's market study. The marketing examples are presented according to the various CMA recommendations (acknowledging that some examples of inappropriate marketing are relevant to more than one of the CMA's recommendations) and include a range of manufacturers, brands and practices, all of which are current (from June and July 2025).
 
I news featured our report in this ‘big read’ by Emma Morgan, published on Sunday 27 July.

Some extracts:
"Politicians and campaign groups are urging the Government to take action to restrict the marketing practices of baby formula companies, accusing them of “doubling down” on advertising that “hinders parents making informed choices”.
 
"Patti Rundall, who has been campaigning for safe infant feeding since 1980 and is the policy director of Baby Milk Action told The i Paper that no matter how subtle, marketing messages “really matter. We think it’s small, but it penetrates. If parents don’t have all the other information that tells them why this is nonsense, then they’re going to believe it".
 
“Too many families are currently being let down by the infant formula industry while the Government stands by and watches,” Jess Brown-Fuller MP said. “It’s immoral... Now it’s time for Wes Streeting to act. Accept the CMA’s recommendations. Implement them fully. And show that building the ‘healthiest generation ever’ starts with making sure every child, regardless of background, has a fair start in life.”

For more information about the Baby Feeding Law Group UK please visit our website Baby Feeding Law Group UK (bflg-uk.org) and sign up to our X account @BflgUk. You can also email katie@firststepsnutrition.org