Aptamil baby milk formula: Mother’s concern over shortage after trips to Waitrose, ASDA and Tesco supermarkets

A mother was unable to find Aptamil formula milk powder at three supermarkets, raising concern of a possible shortage in her area.

The 36-year-old said 800g tubs of Aptamil 1 First Baby Milk Formula Powder from Birth were not on shelves at the trio of stores in and around Keynsham on November 29 and 30.

She tried Tesco supermarket, in Bristol Road, and Waitrose, in Broadmead Lane, on November 29, but both did not have the product on sale.

The following day, a short trip to the nearest ASDA, in Craven Way, Longwell Green, also proved unsuccessful with the item not on the shelves, despite other milk products by Aptamil being available.

The product was eventually found at a Tesco Express nearby in Bath Road.

The mother, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “I couldn’t believe how hard it was to find the formula, and felt lucky when I eventually came across some - I wonder if there is a shortage.”

Earlier this year, in May, Danone, which owns Aptamil, reported low availability of its products due to an issue with an ingredient used to make its formula, which led to a pause in production.

This week, BristolWorld contacted Danone over the apparent shortage in Keynsham.

A spokesperson said there was ‘no known reason why there is a shortage in the area’.

They added: “If people are having difficulty to get hold of the their usual infant formula milk they can get in touch with out careline and social teams who can try and help locate products for them, either on retailer websites or directly on the Aptamil website.”

An ASDA spokesperson said they were not aware of any shortage of the product.

They said it could have been missing from the shelf due to cleaning or a restock.

A Waitrose spokesperson said: “We’re very sorry to hear that our customer hasn’t been able to purchase Aptamil Baby Milk Formula Powder in our Keynsham shop.

“We are awaiting our delivery of this product shortly and hope to have this back on the shelves for customers to purchase soon.”

Have you experienced a shortage with the product? Tell use when and where by emailing [email protected]