Ontario families still struggling with cost of baby formula. Here's why

An Ontario mother said was shocked when she saw the cost of baby formula jump by five to 10 dollars a case each month.

Brampton resident Alicia Hussain said she made the observation on several occasions while buying baby formula for her 10-month-old Noah.

“We're not quite sure what the reasoning is behind the price jump. We called Enfamil and they really didn't give us answers,” said Hussain.

Noah has digestive issues and relies on a special infant formula from Enfamil.

Hussain bought a case of 18 small bottles of the formula in January that cost $53.97. Then the same case jumped to $67.97 and then they noticed it was also for sale for $74.99.

As an infant Noah needed four to five cases every week and as a 10-month-old he still needs two to three cases a week for his diet.

"I mean for children who are solely dependent on formula, which is for children one to four months, that's a huge dip into a family’s pocket," said Hussain.

According to suppliers, infant formula prices rose last year for a variety of reasons including supply chain issues, labour shortages and transportation disruptions.

There was also a major recall of 145,000 cans of baby formula due to concerns of contamination which also helped lead to empty shelves, hoarding and higher prices.

In a statement to CTV News Toronto, Reckitt Corporate Communications, which represents Enfamil Formula, said, “Reckitt/Mead Johnson canceled price increases on infant formula in the wake of last year’s supply shortage because we felt that was the right thing to do. As a result, our business has absorbed the unprecedented cost inflation impacting all companies which has seen the cost of major ingredients contained in Infant Formula rise by more than 60% on average in 2022.”

“We understand the cost-of-living pressures parents face and only look to pricing adjustments as a last resort. Unfortunately it was necessary to raise prices on infant formula products in February 2023. We will continue to do everything possible to limit any further increases.”

CTV News Toronto also reached out to Abbott, the makers of Similac Baby Formula. A company spokesperson said in a statement, “Abbott has not increased the price of its infant formula at the supplier level. Prices at retail stores are determined by individual retailers.”

Loblaw Public Relations told CTV News, “As you know, the supply of baby formula has been an ongoing issue impacting retailers across North America. We continue to do what we can to manage the increase in cost and the availability of products, but given this is a broader industry issue we suggest you reach out to the Retail Council.”

A spokesperson for Walmart told CTV News in a statement: “We know how critical baby formula is for our customers. We understand this is an especially challenging time for Canadian families and we’re working hard to continue offering our everyday low prices to ensure we're a great place to save on everyday essentials, including baby formula.”

“In the face of ongoing global, industry-wide supply challenges with baby formula, and other market pressures – including double-digit price increases from suppliers over the last two years – we continue to do our absolute best every day to make it easier for customers to find formula on a budget. We continue to work closely with all our suppliers to secure a strong supply of baby formula across multiple brands and formats (concentrates, powder and ready-to-feed).”

Hussain’s husband Rami Chibli said that families should not have to pay hundreds of dollars a week to feed their baby and believes the government should be monitoring supplies to make sure companies aren't making unreasonable profits on something vital to a child's nutrition.

“I think there should be a flat rate for baby formula to help all families. If your child needs a significant formula and cant be breast-fed this is a necessity and we have to be able to afford it and it's a struggle," said Chibli.

Families having difficulty paying for baby formula may be able to get assistance through various charitable or government programs.   

Charitable or government programs

• Essential Aid and Family Services of Ontario Inc. is a registered charity with an emergency infant and toddler foodbank, provides emergency supply of infant formula, diapers and baby food to families in need
• 211 Ontario has a feature where you can search for programs that pay for or provide items such as baby formula sorted by region. Many of them are charities, food banks and community support