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Parents of allergy-sensitive children fear they could be forced to make a hospital trip simply to feed their baby.

Due to prescription infant formula being snapped up by Chinese buyers to send overseas, Aussie parents are struggling to feed their allergy-sensitive infants.

Melbourne mother, Hannah Goland, told The Age she was within hours of running out of food for her six-month-old son yesterday.

Baby Archer can only consume the Alfamino brand of formula, as he has a milk allergy which triggers hives and an anaphylactic reaction.

Alfamino

A surge in the Chinese market snapping up Australian-made formula means the tins are hard to find.

“There’s no back up option,” she said. “I’ve called twenty pharmacies before I could find one tin. Since then I’ve only ever been able to buy two tins at a time but even that’s a battle.”

“It is quite a scary thought, the government needs to do something,” she said.

Have you been struggling to find your preferred formula?

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  • And here it is the end of 2018 and there’s still no end to the Chinese stealing out formula to sell at an inflated price to their countrymen

    Reply

  • I live in a regional area and when I was buying formula this was only an issue in the city. But now I see them in my little country town buying a whole trolley full. And the supermarket does nothing even though they have a 2 tins policy. Might be time to start with penalties for the retailers?

    Reply

  • I wonder whether these formulas can be purchased direct from the manufacturer online?

    Reply

  • Wow that is scary, not being able to get the formula you need. What a hassle it all sounds

    Reply

  • Parents should be given a card at the time of birth which has to be scanned if you want to purchase formula. It should be activated so that it only allows so many tins to be purchased at a time and in a time frame (so people don’t buy say 2 tins then half HR later go back, it should be every week or 2)

    This would stop those that aren’t parents from buying it and sending overseas

    Reply

  • Think that the government should do something indeed.
    Limiting amounts per costumer is good.
    They might need to consider that certain brands suitable for those who have allergies go on prescription.


    • A hospital visit as only option to feed your child a certain brand of formula and treat the effects of an allergic reaction would be a very expensive option !

    Reply

  • It’s all well and good saying limit of two per costumer however the Security aren’t going to check who has already walked in and purchased 3 lots of 2 tins at different checkouts! Its hard to manage a restriction such as this. It is an issue though sadly.

    Reply

  • Particularly for kids with an allergy, this has the potential to be a big deal. Limits need to be enforced.

    Reply

  • This must be very worrying for many parents.

    Reply

  • I always found what I wanted but after reading your article Tracy I now understand why Woolies limits the purchase of baby formula to 2 only per person I have seen staff telling customers that the limit is 2
    Per person which now I think is a great

    Reply

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