news

Property investment deals soar 67.4% in first three months to $4.99 billion PAGE 12

A PRESS HOLDINGS TUESDAY MAY 9 2017 MCI(P) 006/12/2016 [email protected] PUBLICATION

Govt taking steps to ensure affordable infant formula options Cheaper milk powder ‘just as nutritious’

LINETTE HENG “do more for children”, but the months old. scientific evidence is weak. Singapore Management Uni- Regardless of price, all infant “Without better information, versity Associate Professor of formula milk sold here meets parents should be careful about Marketing Hannah Chang said quality and safety standards, relying on the claims made by most parents would choose to as well as the nutritional re- infant formula companies, or err on the side of caution when it quirements for infants to grow be misled into using price as comes to baby products. TNP PHOTO: PHYLLICIA WANG healthily. a proxy for the quality of the “Despite economic reasons, Dr , Senior product,” he said, while stress- parents tend to make emotional Minister of State for Trade and ing that cheaper options are just decisions. Body of drowned boy Industry, gave this assurance in as nutritious. “They would chose to pick a Parliament yesterday after two Mr Koh also said the Govern- brand that is trusted, especially young mothers in the House — ment will take steps to ensure if they are new parents,” she found after 3 hours Macpherson MP affordable infant milk powder said. and Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP by making more brands avail- But Prof Chang thinks that — raised concerns able to foster stronger price increasing the options available The body of secondary schoolboy Muhammad about milk powder prices. competition and provide more and assuring parents that all Suhaimi Sabastian, 12, who drowned off Ms Tin, who has a young son, choices for parents. brands sold here meet stringent had asked why the rise in prices By the end of the year, it hopes quality standards is a step in the East Coast Park yesterday, was found after had far exceeded inflation rates to simplify and streamline im- right direction. a three-hour search. Australian housewife and increments in other coun- port requirements, and remove Killiney Family and Well- tries. unnecessary barriers to entry. ness Clinic’s Dr Clarence Yeo Silvia Hajas, 47, said after she rescued three of Ms Sun, a mother of two girls To protect consumers, there said most parents are unlikely four boys struggling in the sea, Suhaimi had aged five months and four years will be more restrictions on ad- to switch brands based on price old, said in a Facebook post that vertising and labelling of infant unless their child shows intoler- disappeared. FOR MORE, SEE PAGE 3 a standard tin of 900g of infant formula. For instance, the Agri- ance to the milk. formula costs about $56 on av- Food and Veterinary Authority Low-income families who erage, compared to $25 in 2007 will prohibit the use of nutrition need to buy infant formula will — a 120 per cent rise over 10 and health claims and idealised get help, the Ministry of Social Scott’s Alien Battle for years. images for infant formula milk. and Family Development (MSF) A check of four supermarkets Currently, a code of ethics said in a written reply yesterday DNA lives on last CL spot yesterday showed that prices of restricts advertising, marketing to Potong Pasir MP Sitoh Yih Pin common milk powder brands and promotion of infant formu- and Aljunied GRC MP Low Thia Forty years after Alien, Sorry, Man U, it’ll be a fight can vary from less than $20 to la for babies below six months. Khiang. Ridley Scott is still doing to the finish between over $60. (See table on Page 2). The Health Promotion Board Dr Koh said that some infant is reviewing if this advertising [email protected] it the old way with Arsenal and Liverpool, says formula companies give the im- restriction could be extended Alien: Covenant PAGE 14 NEIL HUMPHREYS PAGE 34 pression that their brands can to formula for infants up to 12 FOR MORE, SEE PAGE 2