March 2026

Welcome to our first newsletter of spring!

In case you missed it, we are actively recruiting for up to three new trustees for our board. If you would like to be actively involved in setting the direction of First Steps and you have experience in: organisation/business management and growth; charity governance; accounting and financial management in the charitable sector; or fundraising, including from trusts and foundations, please do consider applying. You can find out more on our vacancies page.

Please see the contents of our March newsletter below.

NEWS

• New report: SACN report on Nutrition and Maternal Weight Outcomes

• New DHSC guidance: The Healthy Child Programme

• New paper: Navigating Infant Feeding in the Context of Household Food Insecurity: A Qualitative Study of New Zealand Mothers

• New paper: Feeding Profit: how the food and drinks industry (FDI) is one of the key drivers of the global epidemic of childhood overweight and obesity

Infant milk news

• Updated: Infant milk costs and trends reports

• Update: UK formula milk recalls

BFLG-UK news

• BFLG-UK statement on the Governments’ joint response to the CMA recommendations, and an update on DHSC progress and implementation

Forthcoming

• First Steps Nutrition Trust 2025 impact report

• Imperial Ultra-Processed Food Policy Forum, hybrid, March 24th

• An update of First Steps’ Eating Well Healthy Start and Best Start Foods, a practical guide

• The iHV Evidence Based Practice conference, Bournemouth, May 6th 

HR news

• Welcoming Sara

News

New report: SACN report on Nutrition and Maternal Weight Outcomes

In February 2026, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) published its first report on nutrition and maternal weight outcomes, reviewing the scientific basis of current UK dietary recommendations for women before pregnancy, during pregnancy and up to 24 months after delivery. This is the first of two publications from SACN on nutrition and maternal health, with a future position statement to follow on wider UK dietary recommendations for women of childbearing age. We at First Steps Nutrition Trust welcome this report and the renewed focus it brings to the importance of nutrition in pregnancy and early life, particularly for those most at risk of poor dietary outcomes.

Report overview

Around half of pregnant women in England are living with overweight or obesity (50.3%) at their first antenatal appointment, and overweight and obesity is increasing among women of childbearing age more broadly. National surveys show that between a third and two-thirds of women aged 16 to 54 years in England were living with overweight or obesity in 2022, with prevalence highest in the most deprived areas. At the same time, around 1 in 10 non-pregnant young women aged 16 to 24 were living with underweight, highlighting that poor nutritional status affects women across the weight spectrum.

The report is clear that the dietary patterns of most women of childbearing age fall short of UK recommendations. Survey data indicates that women, like the UK population overall, are not meeting recommendations for vegetables and fruit, fibre, oily fish, sugar, salt or saturated fat, and that energy intakes are likely to exceed requirements. There is currently no national dietary data set on pregnant or breastfeeding women in the UK, which SACN identifies as a significant gap.

The evidence reviewed by SACN found that improving dietary quality during and after pregnancy has modest but meaningful benefits for gestational weight gain (GWG) and postpartum weight. Lower glycaemic load dietary patterns, Mediterranean-style diets, and healthier eating patterns more broadly were associated with lower GWG. Dietary supplements, however, were not found to support healthier weight outcomes for most women. SACN also reiterates (in line with the 2025 NICE Maternal and Child Nutrition guidelines) that intentional weight loss during pregnancy is not recommended because of potential adverse effects on the baby.

Key Findings and Recommendations

• Weight before pregnancy matters most: SACN confirms what we already knew; that a woman's weight at the start of pregnancy has a greater influence on health outcomes for her and her baby than how much weight she gains during pregnancy. The report emphasises the importance of supporting women to reach a healthy weight before pregnancy, and in between pregnancies.

• No change to energy advice during pregnancy and breastfeeding:  Women should consume an extra 200 kcal per day in the last three months of pregnancy, and around 330 kcal per day during the first six months of exclusive breastfeeding. SACN notes that women living with overweight or obesity may already be meeting their energy needs without eating more.

• Breastfeeding remains a priority: Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months is linked to lower maternal BMI in the longer term. SACN recommends that strategies to promote and support breastfeeding are strengthened, in line with the wider evidence on its benefits for mothers and babies.

• Focus on diet quality, not supplements:  SACN recommends that women follow existing UK dietary guidance and eat a healthy, balanced diet. The evidence does not support the use of dietary supplements to manage weight gain during pregnancy for most women.

•  Some groups need particular attention: The report highlights the need to focus on adolescent girls, older mothers, women from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, and those experiencing multiple disadvantage. There is a particular lack of evidence on adolescent girls, who are more likely to be living with underweight and whose energy needs in pregnancy are not well understood.

•  Better data is needed: SACN calls on government to collect nationally representative data on the nutrient intakes of pregnant and breastfeeding women, and to continue measuring and reporting maternal weight at the start of pregnancy. This is a significant gap that makes it harder to understand and respond to the needs of this group.

Further resources

For practical advice on meeting nutritional needs during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, see our Eating Well resources, which can be downloaded for FREE or with a donation:

• Eating well for new mums including information for breastfeeding mothers

• Eating well for a healthy pregnancy: A practical guide

• Eating well in pregnancy: A practical guide to support teenagers

• Eating well in pregnancy: A recipe guide for teenagers

• Eating well for pregnant & breastfeeding women, babies and young children living in temporary accommodation

New DHSC guidance: The Healthy Child Programme

On February 6th, the Department for Health and Social Care published the Healthy Child Programme national framework for improving the health and wellbeing of babies and children and young people from birth and aged up to 19-25 years old in England. It sets out evidence-based approaches to prevention, early intervention and family support – supporting the government’s ambition of raising the healthiest ever generation of children. It comprises delivery guidance for public health nursing teams for and their provider organisations (divided in to part 1, principles, part 2 for health visiting (0-5s), and part 3 for school nursing (5-19s)), commissioning guidance and a high-impact area framework (again broken down in to sections, one of which is for health visiting and 0-5s) which translates the principles in to actionable priorities.

In relation to early years nutrition, the health visiting section of the high impact area framework contains the detail about what health visitors are meant to do to support women antenatally and thereafter with breastfeeding, infant feeding and healthy weight and nutrition. It refers to relevant SACN and NICE guidelines, the Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative, the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and also our resources at First Steps Nutrition Trust for supporting eating well from pre-conception up to the age of 5 years.

New paper: Navigating Infant Feeding in the Context of Household Food Insecurity: A Qualitative Study of New Zealand Mothers

This qualitative study by Ioanna Katiforis and colleagues was published in the March issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and explores how mothers in New Zealand navigate infant feeding while living with household food insecurity. The paper focuses on the complementary feeding period, when infants are introduced to solid foods from around six months of age. This is an area that has received relatively little research attention compared with breastfeeding and is highly relevant to the UK context, where levels of food insecurity among households with young children are comparable to those in New Zealand. The pressures described by mothers, including rising food prices, high housing costs, and reliance on a mix of statutory and charitable support, also closely mirror those experienced by families with infants in the UK.

Study overview

The study involved in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 15 mothers living in Dunedin, New Zealand, who had been identified as experiencing moderate or severe household food insecurity when their infants were aged 7–10 months. Interviews explored food purchasing practices, infant feeding during the complementary feeding period, and experiences of seeking support. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Three main themes were identified:

1. Food purchasing strategies were used to stretch money

Mothers described using a wide range of strategies to manage limited food budgets. These included shopping around for the lowest prices, prioritising foods on promotion, buying supermarket own-brand products, and relying on frozen or canned fruit and vegetables when fresh produce was unaffordable. Food purchasing decisions were made alongside other unavoidable household costs such as rent, utilities and transport, requiring constant financial trade-offs.

“Food, money, everything like that sort of stuff was always a constant, like, “Do I have enough?” Like, “Okay I’ve done my groceries on the payday, but am I gonna make it through to the next payday?” I hated living week to week, I hated it. I hated it.” – Mother of 4, single-adult household

2. The infant’s nutrition was prioritised

Across interviews, mothers consistently reported prioritising their infants’ nutrition above their own. Infants were given access to the most nutritious foods available in the household, while mothers reduced portion sizes, relied on cheaper filler foods, or skipped meals altogether. Feeding practices generally aligned with complementary feeding guidance, with strong emphasis on fruits, vegetables and home-prepared foods where time and resources allowed.

“Like she was always fed first and had the most nutritional things for her meals and her snacks... she’s always come first kind of thing, and I’d never jeopardize [that] just for me to get a meal or whatever.” – Mother of 1, single-adult household

A related subtheme concerned breastfeeding. Breastmilk was widely viewed by mothers as an important nutritional safeguard for their infants. However, the study highlights that breastfeeding is not cost-free. Mothers described the physical exhaustion, mental load and increased nutritional demands associated with breastfeeding while food insecure, and the mother’s perceived challenges of sustaining breastfeeding when their own diets were inadequate.

“I was trying to feed myself so that I could feed her… I absolutely did not have enough to eat.” – Mother of 1, two-adult household

The authors also note that for mothers who cannot or choose not to breastfeed, the lack of financial support to purchase infant formula may place additional strain on already limited household budgets.

3. Support was appreciated, but seeking food or money was often disempowering

Mothers accessed support from a range of sources, including family members, friends, food banks and government food grants. While this support was often essential in preventing food shortages, seeking help was commonly associated with feelings of shame, loss of independence and being judged, particularly in interactions with welfare services. Some mothers delayed or avoided accessing support despite being eligible.

“You come away feeling really bad about yourself… like, ‘If you’re poor, that’s your fault…’” – Mother of 1, two-adult household

Author conclusions and implications for UK Policy

The authors conclude that reliance on charitable food assistance and one-off food grants is insufficient to support families with infants, and that longer-term, more acceptable forms of support are needed. Several implications are particularly relevant to UK policy and to the work of First Steps.

• Nutrition support in infancy: The findings reinforce the importance of nationally funded schemes that support the nutrition of pregnant women, infants and young children. In the UK, the Healthy Start scheme provides an important foundation but remains limited in value given food price inflation, and in reach, particularly for families navigating complementary feeding.

• Income adequacy for families with infants: Food insecurity during infancy cannot be addressed without tackling income adequacy. The pressures described in the study reflect the wider cost-of-living crisis, with rising housing, energy and transport costs placing sustained strain on household budgets. These pressures closely mirror those faced by low-income families in the UK who rely on Universal Credit, statutory maternity pay and low wages. 

• Integration of food support into maternal and child health services: Embedding food and nutrition support within trusted services such as health visiting and Family Hubs may improve access, reduce stigma and better meet infant-specific nutritional needs.

• Maternal nutrition: The study highlights the extent to which mothers compromise their own diets to protect their infants’ nutrition. Policies and programmes should more explicitly recognise and support maternal nutritional needs, particularly for breastfeeding women (see our news piece above on SACN’s new report on Nutrition and Maternal Weight Outcomes). In the UK, this includes supporting pregnant and breastfeeding mothers on low incomes to access schemes such as Healthy Start, which can help with the cost of fruit, vegetables and milk, as well as free Healthy Start vitamins providing folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin D.

This study provides valuable insight into mothers’ lived experience of feeding their infants while being food-insecure. Mothers demonstrated high levels of nutritional awareness, skill and commitment, but did so at considerable personal cost. The findings underline the importance of moving beyond emergency food provision towards coherent policies that support both infant and maternal nutrition during the early years.

Further resources

For practical guidance on supporting families with limited resources, see our guide “Eating well for pregnant and breastfeeding women, babies and young children living in temporary accommodation”. Our “Healthy Start and Best Start Foods: A Practical Guide” may also be useful for families eligible for these schemes. Both resources are available on our website for FREE or a donation here. 

New paper: Feeding Profit: how the food and drinks industry (FDI) is one of the key drivers of the global epidemic of childhood overweight and obesity

Unicef published ‘Feeding Profit: how food environments are failing children’ in September last year (see our October newsletter). This commissioned view point in BMJ Paediatrics Open, published in January, focuses on the role of the food and drinks industry (FDI) in driving the global epidemic of overweight and obesity.

The Breastfeeding resources that are available include:

• Various breastfeeding guides, wallet cards, posters, social media creatives for both breastfeeding and pregnancy, and the 'easy read' leaflet created in collaboration with UNICEF. These can be downloaded and ordered here.

• A comprehensive selection of knowledge and guidance for breastfeeding families, providing NHS-trusted advice on topics such as expressing breastmilk, breastfeeding in public, maintaining a breastfeeding-friendly diet, the many benefits of breastfeeding, returning to work while breastfeeding, and many more. These can be found here.

• The easy-read 'A guide to help you start breastfeeding' leaflet, created in collaboration with UNICEF, provides mums and parents with key information about breastfeeding. This resource is designed to support audiences with low literacy levels or where English is not a first language. This can be downloaded here.

 To sign up to receive the monthly newsletters, go to the Campaign Resource Centre. You will need to register an account, and this will enable you to: download and order resources (including posters, leaflets and digital assets); access campaign toolkits, brand guidelines and logos; and receive email updates on new campaigns and resources.

News: Baby food hit by problems for pouches

On 12 December 2025, the Grocer published Babyfood hit by problems for pouches, reporting that the “wet babyfood category” declined by about 15%, following the April 2025 BBC Panorama investigation, with criticised brands being worst affected.

The Truth about Baby Food Pouches documentary aired by the BBC, which our Director, Dr Vicky Sibson featured in, concluded that several baby food brands have made misleading health claims about their pouch products. The documentary provided an opportunity to shine a light on long-standing issues with commercial baby and toddler food marketing in the UK, using much of the ongoing technical and advocacy work of several organisations, including us at First Steps. The documentary also provided new momentum to leverage long overdue improvements in the commercial baby food retail offer.

This decline in the wet babyfood category is likely due to the exposé and media coverage, as well as the concurrent adjustments made to the NHS guidance to parents that they do not need to rely on shop-bought baby foods, which was a request we made to the DHSC’s chief nutritionist. In August 2025, the DHSC also published the Voluntary industry guidelines for Commercial baby food and drink , effectively putting the baby food industry on notice to improve product composition and marketing. Businesses have 18 months from publication of these guidelines in August 2025 (i.e., they have until the end of February 2027) to implement both the salt and sugar targets and the recommendations on labelling and marketing. We hope that during 2026, through collaborative work, we can achieve positive progress in the baby food space in the UK, to contribute to creating an enabling environment for all babies to have the best start in life.

New paper: Understanding parents’ experiences of using a portion guide for young children: A qualitative study

New qualitative research has explored parents’ experiences of using an age-appropriate portion size guide for children aged 1–4 years (specifically the HENRY ‘how big is a portion’ guide), providing timely insights for policy and practice. The research was published online in December 2025 and conducted by Mira Malmber and Rana Conway at University College London and Beckie Lang at HENRY.

The study is relevant to the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN)’s 2023 report, Feeding young children aged 1 to 5 years, which highlighted that larger portions may contribute to higher energy intakes in young children, alongside National Child Measurement Programme data showing rising rates of overweight and obesity among reception-aged children. Despite the availability of several portion guidance tools in the UK, none are routinely provided to parents, and evidence on how families use them has been limited. SACN also highlighted the need to develop and communicate age-appropriate portion sizes for young children.

Interviews with 15 parents in England found that although guidance was welcomed, it had limited impact on portioning practices. Parents often found the guidance impractical or unrealistic, relying instead on their own experience and their child’s appetite and preferences. However, the guide was valued as an educational resource to support balanced diets and limit less healthy foods.

The research found that parents preferred picture-based, easy-to-access guidance delivered early in the complementary feeding period and from trusted sources, and noted that the FSNT eating well guides, are an example of good practice.

The authors conclude that portion guides alone are unlikely to change feeding behaviours and recommend more practical, holistic tools alongside greater investment in trusted early years services. We share this view and continue to advocate for parents and carers to have access to independent, evidence-based guidance through adequately resourced health visiting services and Best Start in Life Family Hubs, as set out in our joint position paper ‘Healthy Early Years Diets: Achieving the Best Start in Life’.

New policy paper: The Government’s Child Poverty Strategy

On 5 December 2025, the Government published its Child Poverty Strategy, called Our Children, Our Future: Tackling Child Poverty which was developed by the Child Poverty Taskforce. The strategy is considered a landmark commitment and key priority of the current government, aiming to lift 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030. The strategy acknowledges that the UK has higher child poverty rates than most European Union and Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, with nearly one-third of children in the UK being ‘in relative low income’. The strategy describes how the government, working with partners, will work towards tackling the root causes and alleviating the symptoms of child poverty, to give children the best start in life across the UK.

The strategy consists of 6 chapters:

• The scale of the challenge and the case for change

• Reducing child poverty in partnership

• Boosting family income

• Driving down the costs of essentials

• Strengthening local support for families

• Hope for the future.

It is significant that the role of food and nutrition, including in the early years, in contributing to optimal health and development, is acknowledged in the strategy. Infant feeding is described in Chapter 4 (Driving down the cost of essentials), including the investments committed to supporting infant feeding services and breastfeeding support through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, as well as the National Breastfeeding helpline. The cost of infant formula is acknowledged in the strategy, and the government’s response to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) infant formula market study (see more on this below, in the section on BFLG-UK news) together with increasing value of Healthy Start vouchers are described as strategies to make it easier to access healthy, affordable food.

Other key components of the strategy (some of which had been announced previously but are now all consolidated in the strategy) include ending the two-child limit, expanding Free School Meals and implementation of School Food Standards and acknowledgement of the need to support children and families with No Recourse to Public Funds. The government had indicated that they will develop a monitoring and evaluation framework including annual reporting on the strategy.

For some helpful insights on the strategy, take a listen to a 10-minute podcast by Hannah Brinsden on the Food Foundation Pod Bites: Child poverty – are we failing?

For more information on supporting families, see our relevant resources:

• Eating well recipe book: Simple, cost-effective ideas of the whole family

• Healthy Start and Best Start Foods: A practical guide

• Eating Well for pregnant & breastfeeding women, babies and young children living in temporary accommodation

• New policy paper: Joint Government response to CMA formula market study

New inquiry report: First 1000 days, a renewed focus

On 22 January 2026, the cross-party Health and Social Care Committee published the Fifth Report of Session 2024–26 on the Inquiry on the First 1000 Days: a renewed focus. The First 1000 Days Inquiry report acknowledges the first 1000 days as a critical window of opportunity for child development and recognises that the UK has some of the worst health outcomes for young children in Europe, including rising obesity, uneven vaccination coverage and persistent inequalities. The First 1000 Days Inquiry aimed to understand why there continue to be challenges in achieving progress for early years interventions and care in the UK, despite effort and ongoing commitments from multiple governments. The report was developed following submissions of written evidence (including our consultation response in April 2025), presentations of oral evidence and committee meetings. The current report focuses on the Family Hubs and the Start for Life programme, health visiting, the workforce, vaccinations and service integration.

We are pleased to see recommendations on making Family Hubs universal and improving investment into health visiting. However, there are insufficient measures described to ensure comprehensive support for early years nutrition. It is concerning that infant and young child feeding and early years nutrition are not being comprehensively integrated into national reports and recommendations. There needs to be much better policy alignment and coherence if the government is to achieve its commitments to the best start in life and raising the healthiest generation ever.

The joint position from us at First Steps, the Obesity Health Alliance and others, on ‘Healthy Early Years Diets: Achieving the Best Start in Life’, updated in December 2025 and supported by over 100 organisations, describes our shared policy asks on health early years diets. The joint updated position statement presents a clear, achievable set of evidence-informed and cost-effective steps that will measurably improve the nutritional quality of diets in the early years. The joint position recommendations call for bolder government action, including stronger legislation to protect families from misleading commercial milk formula marketing, and introducing a mandatory regulatory framework governing the nutritional composition, marketing, and labelling of baby and toddler foods, among other actions.

Infant Milk News

News: Recent price rises in formula milk products

We have identified increases in the price of some formula milk products since the publication of our cost report in October 2025. We are currently investigating these changes and plan to publish an updated, comprehensive cost report as soon as possible, during February 2026.

Parents affected by these price rises can be reassured that it is safe to switch between first infant formula brands. By law, all infant formulas must meet the same nutritional composition standards, regardless of brand or price.

These cost increases are particularly concerning as they run counter to the CMA formula market study recommendations to reduce formula prices. Any increase in formula price will place additional pressure on families with infants and potentially increase the risk of unsafe formula feeding practices. This also confirms our concerns with the Government’s response to the CMA recommendations (see below), where we feel that stronger action is needed in the short term to deliver meaningful impact for families and babies. It is critical that the Government proceeds with timely implementation of the CMA recommendations it has accepted, and describes how and when they will determine whether more direct measures are needed to improve infant formula affordability (such as the backstop option that was recommended by the CMA, namely prices controls, which could be achieved through profit margin caps).

Product updates: Infatrini and Neocate LCP

Nutricia has updated the composition of Infatrini, a Food for Special Medical Purposes (FSMP) for the dietary management of disease-related malnutrition and growth failure in infants and young children. The revised formulation now includes 2’-Fucosyllactose (2’-FL) and added prebiotics (short-chain galacto-oligosaccharides and long-chain fructo-oligosaccharides). There is no good evidence that these additions provide benefits for infants when added to infant milks, and they are therefore considered unnecessary. The energy, macronutrient and micronutrient composition remains unchanged.

Neocate LCP, an amino acid-based FSMP suitable from birth for non-metabolic disorders, has been updated to a 420g tin with new packaging (previously 400g). The formulation is unchanged except for a switch in the source of Docosahexaenoic Acid, from Crypthecodinium cohnii oil to Schizochytrium sp. oil; both are microalgae-derived.

As a reminder, specialist infant milks marketed as FSMPs should only be used under medical supervision, as stated on product labels.

More information on milks marketed as FSMPs can be found in our reports: Specialised milk for infants who are premature, low birthweight or have faltering growth  and Specialised milks for infants with allergies.

News: Nestlé and Danone Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula product recall

It has been confirmed that some batches of various Nestlé formula milks sold in the UK under the SMA and SMA Little Steps brands, as well as a Danone product sold under the Aptamil brand, have been contaminated with a toxin called cereulide. This toxin can cause food poisoning. The symptoms are nausea, vomiting and cramps very shortly after consumption.

Further details, including the affected batch numbers, are available in the food alerts issued by the Food Standards Agency since Friday 5 January 2026.

The alerts are as follows:

5th January: Nestlé recalls several SMA Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula as a precaution because of the possible presence of cereulide (toxin) | Food Standards Agency.

9th of January: Update 1 - Nestlé recalls several SMA Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula as a precaution because of the possible presence of cereulide (toxin) | Food Standards Agency.

24th of January Danone recalls Aptamil First Infant Formula because cereulide (toxin) has been found in this batch | Food Standards Agency

3rd of February: Update 1 - Nestlé recalls several SMA Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula as a precaution because of the possible presence of cereulide (toxin) | Food Standards Agency

3rd of February: Update 2: Nestlé recalls several SMA Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula because of the presence of cereulide (toxin) | Food Standards Agency

The recalls extend beyond the UK, affecting more than 60 countries, and have attracted national and international media attention. On 6 January, our Director, Vicky, spoke on BBC Radio at lunchtime, and our Senior Nutritionist, Katie, appeared on the ITV evening news. FSNT also contributed to an article in the Financial Times: Nestlé and Danone hit by backlash over contaminated baby formula.

The contamination has been traced to arachidonic acid (ARA) oil. Current UK legislation regulating infant formula (Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/127) mandates the addition of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to infant formula. The Codex Standard for Infant Formula, however, considers DHA to be an optional ingredient, but that if DHA is added to infant formula, then the same amount of ARA should also be added. This case highlights how microbial contamination of a single source ingredient can have global repercussions, particularly in the commercial infant formula industry, which operates within a profit-driven supply chain that pressures companies to source low-cost ingredients.

Advice for parents and carers using the affected formula milk products

• It is vital that parents using any of the affected formula milk products check the batch numbers and stop using any that are listed as potentially contaminated (batch numbers that are not listed can continue to be used). If the baby is sick, the parent should contact their GP or call 111.

• All parents and carers should be aware that it is perfectly possible and safe to switch brands of first infant formula as they are all nutritionally equivalent. There may be a period of adjustment as baby gets used to the new formula. Some babies may take a short time to adjust, and parents and carers may notice some temporary changes in their stools, as different ingredients are used in different brands. If a parent has any concerns they could contact their health visitor for advice, or their GP or 111.

• Not all milk is suitable for feeding babies. Babies under one year of age should never be given condensed milk, evaporated milk, dried milk, goats’, sheeps’, cows’ milk or plants based milk drinks such as soya, rice or oat (as a drink) as outlined in NHS guidance on milk feeding babies under 1.  

• Home-made infant formula is not safe to use as it does not have an appropriate nutritional composition and therefore may not support proper growth and development, and the ingredients themselves, or the way in which they have been prepared, increases the risk of severe bacterial infection in infants. 

• The NHS recommends that non breastfed or mixed fed babies can be given infant formula up to 12 months of age and that follow-on formula is not necessary (and should never be given to babies under 6 months old).

• Babies being fed one of the affected non-standard formulas (anti-reflux, comfort, lactose-free, or Alfamino) should consult their health professional for advice on a suitable alternative.

First Steps Nutrition Trust provides independent expert information about all formula milks on the UK market for parents and carers here: https://www.firststepsnutrition.org/parents-carers

Advice for health professionals

Health professionals can use our website www.infantmilkinfo.org to look up alternatives to the affected products to advise parents; see the tab ‘type of infant milk’ and look up lactose-free under infant formula, as well as comfort and anti-reflux. Information on alternatives to Alfamino are in the report “specialised milks for infants with allergies”.

Supporting all parents and carers who use infant formula

The recall comes shortly after the ByHeart powdered infant formula recall in the USA, which we reported on in our December newsletter. Together, these incidents reinforce the importance of reminding those using formula to feed their babies, that powdered infant formula is not sterile and that NHS guidance must be followed carefully when preparing feeds.

A key element of this guidance is ensuring that the water used to reconstitute the powder has been boiled and allowed to cool to no less than 70°C to kill any bacteria present in the powdered infant formula.

We also advise against using formula preparation devices, or at least checking the temperature of the hot shot as per NHS advice, as our research has shown they do not consistently heat water to 70°C and therefore may not effectively eliminate bacteria in powdered infant formula.

More information on safe formula preparation can be found here.

Infographics on safe formula preparation, suitable for sharing directly with families, are available here. 

Policy recommendations

Intrinsic contamination of powdered infant formula has been documented repeatedly over decades, leading to numerous recalls and harm to infants. These incidents expose systemic failures in formula manufacturing, regulatory surveillance and communication of risk to parents and carers, reinforcing the need for stronger regulations to protect infant health.

On 2 February 2026, the European Food Safety Authority announced plans to update its scientific advice on cereulide, including setting a toxin threshold to trigger recalls. While welcome, this highlights the reactive nature of current safety systems.

Furthermore, the advertising and promotion of commercial milk formula suggest to parents that these products are inherently safe. This reinforces the urgent need for full implementation of the international Code and relevant World Health Assembly resolutions, which require clear warnings about the non-sterile nature of powdered formula milks.

We at First Steps are advocating for stronger independent oversight of formula manufacturers, improved monitoring of illness linked to formula feeding, and mandatory labelling to clearly state that powdered infant formula is not sterile and must be prepared according to NHS guidance. We also want to see the rules governing the addition of non-mandatory ingredients to formula milks to be revisited.

At the global level, the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) is in Geneva this week urging Member States to adopt a new World Health Assembly resolution to reduce contamination risks for infants. Given the global nature of formula production and supply chains, such action would directly support and strengthen UK advocacy efforts.

Our Statement on Nestlé and Danone formula milk recalls, the first document on our First Steps Statements webpage provides latest information for parents and health workers, and we aim to keep this as up-to-date as possible, as new information becomes available.

New paper: Infant formula milk shows microbiological contaminants that are not removed using recommended preparation methods

New research from Queen’s University Belfast (published in October 2025) highlights concerns about the microbiological safety of powdered infant formula (PIF), particularly when prepared using at-home preparation machines (AHPMs). The study examined 21 UK PIF products prepared using NHS-recommended 70 °C water, boiled and cooled water, and AHPMs. All products were suitable from birth to six months and marketed for use with AHPMs.

Microbial contamination was detected in around one-third of products tested, with Bacillus species most commonly recovered, including Bacillus cereus, a known infant pathogen that produces cereulide toxin, associated with infant illness and the current recall of Nestlé and Danone infant formula milks products sold in the UK . Although contamination was observed across all preparation methods, significantly higher microbial levels were found in formula prepared using AHPMs, even when sterile water was used.

These findings align with our research conducted with colleagues at Swansea University, which shows that formula preparation devices frequently fail to deliver water at temperatures sufficient to reduce bacterial risk (>70 °C). The study also showed that rapid cooling of prepared formula may reduce the effectiveness of heat treatment, allowing surviving microbes to persist.

Together, these findings raise concerns about the safety of widely used formula preparation devices and highlight the need for further investigation by the Office for Product Safety and Standards, alongside clearer NHS guidance on their use in the interim.

• We therefore continue to recommend avoiding formula preparation devices (like the Tommee Tippee Perfect prep) machine or at least checking the temperature of the hot shot as per NHS advice.

• We now also suggest avoiding rapid cooling devices like the Nuby Rapid Cool, until further research shows that rapid cooling does not disrupt the effect of the hot water used for making up the formula, to kill any bacteria that may be present.

For resources to support families who use formula to feed their babies, see our Infant milks: Information for parents and carers webpage and our Formula choice and preparation infographic.

If you have any questions about accessing the site, please email us at admin@firststepsnutrition.org.

For infant milk information please visit our website www.infantmilkinfo.org. If you can’t find what you’re looking for please email rachel@firststepsnutrition.org

Baby Feeding Law Group news

New video: What are the solutions to the infant formula affordability crisis?

On 27 January 2026, Prof Amy Brown at Swansea University and colleagues shared a 3-minute summary video on YouTube summarising key messages from research looking at the impacts of and solutions to the infant formula milk affordability crisis. The research included interviews with 281 parents who were struggling to afford formula, and 158 professionals and volunteers who support parents. The research was led by Swansea University, together with partners at Cardiff Metropolitan University, The University of Hertfordshire, the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust, the Independent Food Aid Network, Leicester Mammas, and us at First Steps Nutrition Trust.

Findings from the research included that the cost of infant formula was having a devastating impact upon families, and parents reported feeling distressed, anxious, and heartbroken that it was so challenging to feed their infants. Poor affordability was found to exacerbate postnatal depression. Parents reported going into debt, skipping meals and not heating their homes to pay for infant formula. Some also reported unsafe practices such as watering down feeds and looking to Facebook marketplace to purchase infant formula, knowing that this could put their baby at risk, but not seeing an alternative. Many parents spoke of being angry at the high costs, much of which goes to marketing and profits of the infant formula companies. Solutions such as an emergency pathway led by councils or the NHS were suggested, however many parents just wanted formula to be cheaper. Any solution that didn’t reduce the cost allows companies to continue making high profits and passes the problem to the taxpayer.

The researchers made the following key recommendations to the Government:

• Prioritise acting on the Competitions and Markets Authority’s 11 recommendations from their infant and follow-on formula market study

• Regulate the price of infant formula

• Ensure better support for breastfeeding

As secretariat for the Baby Feeding Law Group, we fully support these recommendations. Marketing and pricing are intertwined. Formula marketing needs to be reined in through strengthening UK laws in line with the Code and resolutions and enforcing them properly. Infant formula prices need to be reduced sustainably and in the long term through Government regulation. These actions will contribute to giving all babies the best start in life. The full research paper is currently under review and will be published shortly.

New policy paper: Joint Government response to CMA formula market study

On 3 December 2025, the Government published its joint response to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) infant and follow-on formula market study. The joint response was compiled by the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments (including the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Public Health Scotland, Public Health Wales), Food Standards Scotland, and the Department of Health and Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland.

It is significant that the government have formally acknowledged the longstanding issues with the formula market in the UK, relating to marketing, pricing and retail practices which undermine public health infant feeding recommendations. The government made several notable, positive commitments for which they should be praised. However, the current response relies on a non-legislative package of measures, and it our view that further actions will be needed in the short term to deliver meaningful impact for families and babies, especially those on low incomes.

The Government accepted (“in principle”) six of the CMA’s 11 recommendations, committed to “further work” on three and rejected two recommendations. The CMA had indicated that governments may wish to consider price controls for infant formula as a backstop option, if the CMA’s proposed package of measures does not achieve the desired market outcomes and if the impact on consumer outcomes is insufficient within a reasonable timeframe. Unfortunately, the government response does not mention this potential future option. We feel it is critical that an adequate timeframe is determined for when this be reviewed, and detail should be provided on how impacts will be monitored. If infant formula prices remain high in mid-2026 (and we have identified increases in the prices of some formula milk products, as described above in Infant milk news ), a formal assessment should be conducted on the need for and feasibility of implementing more direct measures to improve formula affordability (such as price controls through profit caps).

It is important that, for the six recommendations accepted in principle, these should be implemented in a timely manner, with further detail provided on the indicators to be used for monitoring impact and whether further steps are required. For the three recommendations requiring further work, there should be clarification on the next steps to strengthen labelling and advertising rules, and clear timelines for how this will be conducted. The goal should be stronger regulations in line with ‘the Code’, placing restrictions on advertising of all formula milks marketed for use up to 3 years, and proper enforcement. This would put children’s wellbeing above commercial interests. We will shortly be sharing a comprehensive BFLG-UK statement on the Government response to the CMA report, which will be available on the BFLG-UK website here. 

A reminder: What YOU can do to challenge conflicts of interest (such as the upcoming formula-sponsored British Journal of Midwifery conference)

We have compiled a comprehensive list of suggestions for what healthcare professionals can do if they identify conflicts of interest, especially relating to challenging the inappropriate marketing of breastmilk substitutes or commercial milk formula targeting health professionals. See the suggestions provided on our First Steps Nutrition Trust website here.

The annual British Journal of Midwifery (BJM) conference is taking place on Tuesday 31 March 2026, with sponsors including Kendamil and Nutricia (Danone). We have previously written public letters to the conference organisers, have had commentaries published in the British Medical Journal, and we have directly emailed the conference organisers, but these have not resulted in any changes to the conference sponsorship policy. We encourage other individuals and organisations to send letters to the organisers and/or make public statements to create greater awareness of this problematic conflict of interest. The conference is organised by the Mark Allen publishing group and the names of contact people and their email addresses are available on the conference website here. Perhaps with continued pressure and advocacy, the organisers will change their policies in future, and/or fewer health professionals will attend and/or fewer speakers will agree to present at such conferences.

For more information about the BFLG-UK please visit our website Baby Feeding Law Group UK (bflg-uk.org) and sign up to our twitter (X) account @BflgUk. You can also email katie@firststepsnutrition.org

Forthcoming

Conference: iHV Evidence Based Practice conference Bournemouth May 6th

The Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) will be hosting a full-day Evidence-based Practice Conference 2026, with the theme “From Evidence to Action: Getting it right from the start”, at Bournemouth International Centre on Wednesday 6 May 2026. Our Director, Dr Vicky Sibson will be doing an oral presentation on Starting solids and the latest public health recommendations on shop bought baby foods. You can book your tickets here before 7 March 2026.

Updated resource: Eating Well Healthy Start and Best Start Foods: A practical guide

Our Eating Well resource Healthy Start and Best Start Foods – A practical guide was last updated in 2022. In light of the recent announcements to increase the value of the Healthy Start vouchers in April 2026, we will be updating this resource to reflect the increase in allowance. We will also be looking to develop posters, leaflet and recipe cards for use in Family Hubs and food bank settings and will share when these become available.