SINGAPORE - Shoppers at NTUC FairPrice supermarkets now have one more brand of formula milk to choose from, and it costs only about half the price of some premium brands.
The supermarket chain on Wednesday (Sept 20) launched a new FairPrice Gold house brand formula milk for children up to the age of three.
The formula milk, sourced from Australia, is available in three types: for infants up to six months of age, for those between six months and a year old, for those who are one and older. A 900g tin retails from $27 to $29.
Mr Seah Kian Peng, chief executive of NTUC FairPrice, said this new launch "adds another dimension to our ongoing efforts to holistically address parents' concerns on rising costs of formula milk".
In March, The Straits Times reported that the average price of a 900g tin of infant milk powder in Singapore soared 120 per cent over the last decade to $56.06, making it among the highest in the world, along with those in China and Hong Kong.
Since then, the Government has set up a task force to look into tightening regulations on labelling and advertising, facilitating imports of more formula milk options, strengthening public education and encouraging good practices in hospitals.
A number of lower priced formula milk products have also hit the shelves, following calls for more affordable infant formula options.
Sheng Siong in August launched a new formula milk range from Australia, priced between $25.50 and $29.50 for a 900g tin.
In June, NTUC FairPrice announced the launch of a new range imported from Australia, called Australia's Own, and priced at between $27.50 and $35 for a 900g tin.
A made-in-Singapore range of infant milk powder was launched earlier in May by Einmilk, with milk sourced from New Zealand. It comes in four formulations, with Stage 1 to 3 formulas ranging from $33 to $39 for an 800g tin, while the lactose-free one is priced at $25 for 400g.
Mr Seah said that with the new brand of formula milk, prices have been kept low, while the quality of the product was comparable to top milk formula brands.
All three variants have been fortified with omega 3, omega 6, lutein, galacto oligosaccharides and nucleotides.
