08 April 2013 (13:29 UTC-07 Tango 06)/27 Jumada l-Ula 1434/19 Farvardin 1391/28 Yi-Mao (2nd month) 4711
“We would like to apologize to parents for any inconvenience caused by this limit. We know that most parents only buy one pack at a time, so we hope that the impact of this limit on U.K. parents will be minimal.”-Danone statement
Apparently people in the economic strapped United Kingdom have been buying bulk quantities of baby formulas and reselling them to families in China.
Chinese baby formula makers are still having problems with contaminated products, so foreign made formulas are in big demand. However, officials in U.K. apparently don’t want individual Brits making much needed money off selling baby formula to Chinese.
But it’s not just United Kingdom, Australia has already banned such behavior as well. Officials say they’re concerned with violations of trade agreements.
But one formula maker, Danone, revealed the real reason for the retail store rations in the British empire: They are trying to boost their own sales in China and they don’t want the competition!
But another formula maker, Nestle, is challenging the claims of formula shortages by Danone and U.K. officials: “We do not have any evidence of bulk purchase of SMA for export, and we are in the process of contacting all our retail customers to confirm this, and to notify them that we do not have – and do not anticipate – any stock issues for powdered infant milks. We would like to reassure our consumers that we are not seeking to impose any limits on the sale of our formula, and any decision to do so is at the sole discretion of the retailer. Contrary to reports, Nestle UK has never requested that retailers limit the supply of SMA powdered infant milks sold to consumers.”