Update: Still no government response to recommendations made by February 2025 CMA report on the infant and follow-on formula market in the UK

Our most recent regular monitoring data on the cost of infant formula in the UK (see above) has once again illustrated that there has been no meaningful reduction in the cost of infant formula to UK families. In light of this, on 20 October 2025, we shared a press release, Formula company greed remains unchecked as Government delays its response to watchdog recommendations and we coordinated a joint letter to the UK Health Ministers, urging them to publish the DHSC’s response to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) recommendations and initiate long-overdue action to improve the accountability of commercial milk formula companies. Media coverage of our press release included pieces in the British Medical Journal (Infant formula: Government is criticised for “inexcusable” delay in toughening marketing rules), the Telegraph (Doctors accuse baby formula makers of ‘unchecked greed’) and The Daily Mail (Parents face crippling costs to feed their babies as Government fails to check 'greedy' formula firms, experts warn) on 20 October, as well as a segment on ITV news on 28 October 2025, about “risks to babies as struggling parents resort to watering down their formula milk”.
 
It is therefore disappointing that the DHSC responded to our letter by stating that the government response will be published in “due course” with no indication of when this might be.
 
Follow us on social media where we will provide updates of any progress between now and our December newsletter.