Baby formula maker criticised for shortages

A baby formula maker has been criticised by some parents for recent product shortages.

Rachael Blenkinsop, a mother of 10-month-old twins from Seaham, County Durham, said she had struggled to find popular Kendamil products in shops in recent weeks.

Several other parents have also complained on social media about not being able to find the products.

Will McMahon, co-founder of the Cumbria-based company, said it was dealing with "phenomenal demand" and bottlenecks in its production line were being addressed.

After failing to find the specific Kendamil product she uses for her twins in several local supermarkets, Ms Blenkinsop said she only had about a week's worth of supply left but was hesitant to switch brands.

"Different formulas are made in different ways," she said.

She said other brands she had used for her older children had caused reflux and disturbed sleep.

"Kendamil has always been well received by the twins," she added.

She said the difficulty in finding the product had caused stress and she would be switching brands next week, though she added she was unsure which alternative would be the most comparable.

Mr McMahon said the firm's customer service team would detail to each parent who reached out to it which of their competitor's baby formula products would be most suitable.

He said the underlying reason for the shortages was the "rapid growth in demand" the firm had faced in the last few years, and it was making more of its product than ever before.

"We're the second biggest popular [baby formula] brand now [in the UK]," he said.

"We're going to triple the size of the factory in Kendal, but the reality of the manufacturing world is you cannot wave a wand and solve it overnight."

Mr McMahon added that customers would soon see a "massive step change in supply".

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