Parents could be wasting hundreds of pounds on “unnecessary” toddler milks
New Which? research has revealed that parents could save more than £500 a year by giving their young children cow’s milk instead of toddler milk.
Our research found:
- Nearly half (46%) of mothers, with a child over the age of one, surveyed said they used toddler milk
- Parents could make an annual saving of £531 by switching from ready-to-serve toddler milk costing £593 per year to cow’s milk, which costs just £62.
We looked at the ingredients in powdered milk compared to full fat cow’s milk and found:
- Full fat cow’s milk contains less sugar (4.7g per 100ml) in comparison to Hipp organic combiotic growing up milk powder, which has 7.9g of sugar per 100ml.
- Cow’s milk also has higher levels of calcium (122mg per 100ml) compared to powdered toddler milk, with Apatamil 1yr+ growing up milk powder and Cow & Gate 1-2 yrs growing up milk powder both containing 86mg per 100ml.
- Although toddler milks contain more iron and vitamin D than cow’s milk, these nutrients can be obtained from a child’s diet and a multivitamin that contains vitamin A, C and D
Which? executive director, Richard Lloyd, said:
“At a time when so many household budgets are severely squeezed, parents could be saving hundreds of pounds on toddler milks that the Government says are unnecessary. Ministers should make their advice much clearer and introduce guidance on the ingredients of toddler milks, including the level of sugar and calcium.”
Notes to editors
We surveyed 727 mothers with children under 3 years between 8 November and 6 December 2012
We compared the price of SMA (ready-to-feed) toddler milk costing £593 a year to full fat cow’s milk, which costs £62 per year.
