| Azlan Othman |
MOST retail shops in the country are facing an acute shortage of one of the most popular brands of baby milk powder, causing concerns especially to low income parents.
With the disappearance of the affordable Nestle Nan Kid Optipro HA Step 3 baby milk powder from shop shelves since late last year, parents have been going around in circles to find an alternative to their preferred brand.
A father of three said he has been searching for this milk powder for the past two weeks at 10 shops along Jalan Sengkurong and Jalan Muara, but in vain.
“I tried other milk brands including Nan Ha (box type) for my child. But she refused to take it as it tastes differently. Nan Kid 3 is popular as it is recommended for babies who are hypoallergenic,” he said.
The price of Nan Kid 3 which is meant for children aged above one year is also reasonable – costing around B$27-28 compared to other brands such as Nan Kid Optipro HA Step 2 (for babies aged six months and above) and Nan Kid Optiopro HA Step 1 (for babies below six months) both cost above B$30. It is the low price that makes it (Nan Kid 3) popular among parents.
According to a baby milk powder supplier, not all shops are selling this brand. He cited some recent changes in the distribution network as the main reason for the current shortage. “Since December last year, Nestle Malaysia has appointed another company based in Brunei Darussalam to sell this baby milk powder to department stores,” he noted.
“It has (the shortage) nothing to do with shipment problems, but due to the transfer of distributorship of this product to another company. As the new company takes charge of this product, it needs to be registered again,” he added.
When contacted, health authorities said they cannot comment on baby milk products as it is against the marketing code of breast milk substitutes. It is the policy of health authorities to implement the international code of marketing on breast milk substitutes which is an objective under the national Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) strategy.
A retailer said, “Many parents are asking for Nan Kid 3. We have been out of stock since December last year and we are not sure when the next stock will be arriving.”
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