‘Overwhelming’ response as parents turn to Facebook for baby formula

Kamil Karamali reports on the lengths some parents are going to in order to access baby formula amid rising costs and limited supplies in Canada.

Back in June, Tonmoy Chakraborty found himself with 18 bottles of Enfamil baby formula after finding out his daughter didn’t like the brand. So he posted it on a Facebook group called Baby Formula Share Toronto, writing: “Willing to let go at $135 for both — pickup in Scarborough.”

He didn’t expect what would happen next.

“The response was overwhelming,” said Chakraborty in a Zoom interview with CTV News Saturday. " I got 15 to 20 responses in a matter of an hour, like ‘hey, I’m in Sudbury, I’m willing to drive there if you’re willing to give it away for ten, twelve dollars...

I realized for some, it might be forty or fifty per cent of their weekly paycheck -- That’s not a position any parent should be in, where they’re thinking ‘should I pay for my electricity bill or should I pay for baby formula.’”

Multiple Facebook groups have been popping up across Canada -- with some looking to sell baby formula, but many are looking to buy.

“It’s very often to the point that it’s almost every other day, it’s not something that happens weekly, it’s almost every other day.” said Maryrose Inserto about the number of people who post looking for baby formula on her Facebook group Toronto Moms & Babies Free Stuff.

Inserto says she also uses the Facebook page to see if people are willing to sell or trade for a hypoallergenic baby formula her baby needs.

“My usual Starbucks outing, Tim Hortons outing, buying presents for my partner for his birthday, we’ve cut down on all those things just so we can make sure we have a safety net and just so we have money for a formula,” said Inserto. “Because now with my daughter being on specialized formula, that’s not something we can negotiate and go for a cheaper brand.”

Formula prices continue to increase

Prices for baby formula have nearly doubled since the pandemic, according to Statistics Canada.

The latest data shows the price of baby formula averages $50.27 for 900 grams. In 2020, it cost $29.36 for the same amount.

“If you look at the data in the last five years, baby formula is the one product that has increased the most in Canada at 68 per cent,” said Sylvain Charlebois, senior director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab. “Right below, you would find beef and coffee, but at the number one spot it is baby formula.”

Food safety issues at Abbott and Nestle plants in the U.S. forced a reduction in baby formula production -- which resulted in a supply issue in Canada.

In 2024, Canada opened its first baby formula facility in Kingston, Ont., called Canada Royal Milk, a China-based company.

“Essentially the bottom line is that we’re still heavily reliant on imports so we’re quite vulnerable,” said Charlebois. “We’re heavily dependent on the U.S. and that’s by design because of Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). Recently Health Canada has allowed products from Europe to come into the market to ease pressure, but it eased inflation but prices are quite high unfortunately. The dollar is also working against us as well, so everything imported from the US is costing more.”

Food banks continue to feel the pinch

Food banks say they continue to struggle to provide baby formula to parents in need.

“We never ever get formula donated. It is one of the top items that families seek at the food bank,” said Natasha Bowes with North York Harvest Food Bank in an interview with CTV News on Saturday.

“Over 53 per cent of families are skipping meals right now to be able to afford something else and a lot of that is food for their kids including baby formula.”

Food banks say the strain is growing as more families turn to them for essential items like formula.

“We’re not only dealing with folks in our community, we’re dealing with asylum seekers, refugees, who are showing up at (our) doorstep -- and we have to ration what we have available to not only support our community, but (also) the new Canadians coming to Canada,” said Trevor Nicolle, a volunteer with St. Paul’s on-the-Hill Community Food Bank in Pickering, Ontario.

Health Canada has said it “continues to work closely with manufacturers to maintain a stable supply of infant formulas normally found in the Canadian market and until market disruptions are fully resolved.”

It adds that “more than 70 products are currently eligible for temporary importation under this policy, and the list is updated regularly. New products continue to be added to the list to help strengthen the supply where needed.”