Baby formula sees a rise in illegal traders as parents grapple with price increases.

That’s according to reporter Josh Crosbie, who was speaking to Newstalk Breakfast after investigating the price increases of baby formula in the past year.

“Many have been climbing by just €2, but then others can be up €6,” said Josh.

“Nestle which makes SMA provided me with figures which show some products have increased by 33% in the past year, so going from more than €14 to now over €19.

“Others are up around 12% with the SMA-Pro up 8%.”

Parents reactions

One mother told Josh how the baby formula for her child has increased from €18.50 to €20.50.

Another mother had originally been paying €11.50 but is now paying €17.50 eighteen months later.

“I have two children, one who's just turning two and then one that's five months old – it would be the same baby formula for both of them,” she said.

“It's a huge increase like it's absolutely nuts going from having one to having two kids as well, it's just nuts.”

Northern Ireland

She also reported travelling to different shops to see where you can she could find the best deals.

“We've even gone up North to see if we can get it cheaper,” she said.

Another mother with a two-week-old baby and a four-year-old talked of making the same journey.

“I will go up North because it’s cheaper,” she said, “I get my Mam to come, I get loads.”

Baby milk products and isle at a Teso supermarket store (Dave Cameron / Alamy Stock Photo)

Restrict marketing

Technological University Dublin (TUD) Nutrition lecturer and Baby Feeding Law Group Ireland volunteer Elizabeth O’Sullivan is working towards a restriction on the marketing of these products.

“Infant formula and the industry in this country is very heavily commercialised and de-commercialisation of that would benefit all families and children, regardless of how they're feeding their babies,” she said.

“We would think that in Ireland we should introduce legislation to restrict the marketing and promotion of those products.

“Having marketing and promotion and profits, driving what people buy and consume in those early years is not appropriate.”

Black market

Josh reported that these price increases have shown a “darker side” as “some products are now being sold on the black market at reduced prices.”

“If you search baby formula for sale on Facebook there are several ads that pop up,” he said.

“I've also been told of groups stealing the products and then selling them online.”

One mother from Dublin, Emma, said she has bought these products online.

“It is all different brands, some are cheaper, and then some were selling them because they got the wrong formula,” she said.

“I sold my SMA for cheaper because it wasn’t in use.

“You see it all over the mam-groups on Facebook.”

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