Matilda
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Post by Matilda on Nov 9, 2015 20:47:35 GMT 10
A few months ago, a lady on 2GB mentioned that visiting Chinese were purchasing baby formula in bulk and taking it back to China to on sell or give it to family. Steve Price poohooed this idea. My children were breastfeed so I did not know that if you found a particular formula your baby was able to take, then it was best for bub to continue with that brand. Apparently there is a run on quality baby formula and people are stating that they were shopping and in front of them late at night at the Epping Coles? the store had to limit each customer 8 cans per customer. The Chinese customers were getting upset so as one filled the trolley, another would stand in queue then a runner would rush the formula out to car and the whole process was repeated. The manager even threatened those in the group with calling the police if they didn't calm down. This is being duplicated across Australia. Why?? 1). Huge profits are being made. Each tin of quality formula sells for 700.00 per tin in China!!!! 2). The emerging Chinese Middle Class wants only the best and suppliers cannot meet the demand. 3). The government has revoked the 1 child policy so in 9 months there will be millions of babies born across China and people are stockpiling (in China). You can listen to the podcast here, www.2gb.com/audioplayer/138496 So. If you or your family member are contemplating having a baby, keep the above in mind and PREP accordingly. Check the use by date too!! Devondale powdered milk is another milk in high demand (non formula). |
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Post by Peter on Nov 9, 2015 22:22:04 GMT 10
I have a very serious question... does the nutritional content of baby formula meet the needs of an adult? If so, canned formula could be a valuable prep should the grid go down...
Now that gives me something to look into...
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tyburn
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Post by tyburn on Nov 9, 2015 22:24:43 GMT 10
This has been going on for at least the past five years, its just that the media has caught on recently (I saw notices in Chinese in Perth supermarkets a few years ago limiting to 4 tins per purchase).
The reason why Chinese consumers want the imported stuff is due to a food scandal with poisoned formula several years ago, which led to something like 300,000 babies getting and sick and a half dozen dying. The Chinese govt has tightened up regulations since then, however the public has lost all confidence in the local product.
The tins are not worth anything like $700 each though. That is a huge media beat up.
I just searched for Karicare (one of the most popular brands) on the most popular Chinese shopping site. Bought directly from the manufacturer (Nutricia), it costs around $80 per tin. From an importing/trade company, its around $90. From individual sellers (ie. the people buying the stock from supermarkets in Aus, NZ etc), its around $100. Keeping in mind that it costs anything from around $6 to $10 to ship from Aus to China by courier, plus around $20 to $25 for the formula, they're probably making around $60 to $70 profit on each tin. Importing companies and the manufacturer would be shipping by the pallet or container load, so would be paying less for transportation, however, would need to be paying the Customs fees, and would also need to be affixing labels in Chinese script (Customs seizes anything without Chinese labels).
I guess the main problem is that the manufacturers haven't ramped up their production scales quick enough over the past few years. The Kiwis saw this happening a few years back and poured the money in to upgrading their factories etc, however it looks like the local Aussie companies like Bellamy's have only recently realised the export market is so big after stories of supermarkets being sold out started popping up everywhere.
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tyburn
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Post by tyburn on Nov 9, 2015 22:29:15 GMT 10
This is not only a problem with formula either. I was in a budget chemist in Perth a few weeks ago with my wife, buying up supplements for her friends in China. Most of the stuff we wanted was sold out, with the floor staff complaining that they had completely run out of stock again, meanwhile the checkout chick was trying to explain to two middle-aged Chinese ladies who couldn't speak English that they had a limit of 6 bottles of certain vitamins per person.
The difference here being that the vitamin companies (Blackmores and Swisse mainly) have spent a lot of dough on expanding production, whereas it looks like the infant formula producers are trying to play catch up.
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Post by Peter on Nov 9, 2015 23:02:14 GMT 10
I was in a budget chemist in Perth a few weeks ago... Dude! The next time you're in Perth, let me know and I'll shout you a beer. Heck, I'll shout dinner. I yearn for the chance to speak with fellow preppers face-to-face. Really, I'm not lonely, I just never get the chance to meet with people who don't have their heads in the sand. |
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Matilda
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Post by Matilda on Nov 10, 2015 5:03:01 GMT 10
Thanks for that tyburn. I had also heard on that podcast that it was because of the bad formula that the Chinese want 'clean, safe' formula but any parent wants that don't we. Who can forget Nestlé putting formula into India many years ago and the deaths resulting by unclean water. There is a dairy company (Bega?) that have digressed into formula for this very reason, but the plant will take awhile before the formula is ready. I guess young Mums know about this and I have had a quick look on different Mum Sites and it can take a bit of juggling before the correct formula is found that agrees with a bubs tummy. So, if you stockpile say A2, your baby may not be able to manage it. Breast is best - but I also understand the trials and my new Granddaughter is breastfeed and at the beginning because she was a Caesar birth, there was a bit of angst before things settled down. Mr Pete - not sure but I guess adults can drink it as it has added vitamins etc. It might give you an upset tummy though  |
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