Doing its part to address the rising cost of formula milk by providing a wider choice for consumers, NTUC FairPrice announced on 15 June 2017 its new range of infant formula called Australia’s Own.
The formula will be priced between $27.50 and $35 for a 900g tin and will be exclusively available at major FairPrice stores, all FairPrice Finest, FairPrice Xtra and FairPrice Shop outlets. They can also be purchased at FairPrice Online.
FairPrice CEO Seah Kian Peng made this announcement at a media briefing at FairPrice Xtra at AMK Hub. The event was graced by Senior Minister of Trade and Industry and National Development Dr Koh Poh Koon.
Dr Koh, who is currently leading a taskforce to address the rising process of formula milk in Singapore, said: “One of the immediate actions taken by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) is to work with retailers to facilitate the entry of more suppliers and brands of formula milk, while ensuring food safety.
“I am heartened to see NTUC FairPrice take proactive steps to make more choices of formula milk available, especially lower-priced ones, so parents can select an option that best suits their family’s needs. I hope that other retailers and distributors will do the same.”
According to Australia’s Own, its formula milk uses high-quality cow’s milk sourced from Victoria, a dairy pasture region in Australia and uses state of the art methods for production.
Latest Addition to Help
The initiative is the latest addition to the existing 150 varieties of formula milk already available at FairPrice stores. They are priced from $22 per kg to $97 per kg.
“Following the Government’s announcement to review import requirements, FairPrice has been in discussion with the authorities on bringing in better value formula milk from additional sources. The introduction of Australia’s Own will provide another quality option for parents, adding to the extensive range already available at FairPrice to help parents make informed choices.
“As a retailer that is here to make lives better, we will continue to proactively work with the authorities and new suppliers based overseas to provide better value and a wider choice of formula milk for customers here,” said Mr Seah.
He added that the range of formula milk complements ongoing initiatives FairPrice has put in place as part of a “multi-pronged approach”.
FairPrice will also look to enhance public education on children’s nutritional needs and will work with the Health Promotion Board to place in-store collaterals on formula milk nutrition to help parents make more informed choices.
“Indeed, it will require a sustained approach that requires working closely with various stakeholders to look at ways to ensure affordable formula milk for children remains available to all,” said Mr Seah.
Other Initiatives
Last month, FairPrice announced the launch of the $14 million FairPrice FairMily Kit to celebrate the birth of all Singaporeans over the next three years, as part of the NTUC Good Start Bundle. This scheme is expected to benefit 35,000 babies per year and will be available to all Singapore citizens born from January 2016 to December 2019.
Additionally, FairPrice Foundation, the charity arm of FairPrice, launched the NTUC FairPrice Foundation-CDC Milk Fund in February this year. This $1.5 million initiative was done in partnership with all five Community Development Councils (CDCs). Through the initiative, more than 7,500 children from needy families will be given $100 or $200 in vouchers to purchase any kind of formula milk formula at all FairPrice Supermarkets.
