Good Morning Britain’s Rob Rinder had to abruptly interrupt the ITV morning programme to share a critical update with viewers.
On Friday (February 14), while broadcasting the latest news alongside Charlotte Hawkins, 49, the presenter brought the show to a standstill to highlight a significant announcement by The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
Rob informed the audience that according to the CMA, parents could cut their yearly expenses by as much as £300 by opting for more affordable brands of baby formula that offer identical nutritional value.
The investigation revealed that the price of many popular brands exceeds people’s benefit amount weekly, which has resulted in some parents skipping meals to afford these products.
To address this issue, the CMA has put forward radical recommendations such as the NHS supplying its brand of infant formula or providing hospital-provided formulas in unbranded packaging to lessen the impact of brand loyalty from an early stage in hospitals, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Addressing the viewers, Rob declared: “Welcome back The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) outline recommendations that can help save parents £300a year on infant formula milk.”
Rob and Charlotte then welcomed CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell to the show, who joined them via video link and offered guidance to new parents, advising: “My advice to new parents is trust the advice from the NHS.”
She elaborated: “All the formula products will meet the nutritional needs of your baby and you can afford to go for the cheaper product if that is the better product if that is the better one for your budget. You’re still doing the best for your baby and saving money for yourself at the same time.”
Charlotte then disclosed: “They are also calling for parents to be able to vouchers and loyalty points to purchase baby formula.”
The CMA has previously reported a 25% increase in prices over the past two years, with just three companies – Nestle, Kendamil and Danone – dominating 90% of the market.
The watchdog concluded that the scarcity of manufacturers meant there was no drive to compete on prices, resulting in additional factory costs being passed on “quickly” and entirely to consumers.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV and ITVX