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Chinese buying up all the baby milk !

(229 Posts)
gillybob Sat 31-Aug-19 10:00:35

I saw it with my own eyes yesterday as DD and I were in Boots (Newcastle) looking for baby milk and baby juice. My Dd has told me in the past that she has struggled to find milk in town and that the shelves are often bare and she often has to try quite a few different shops before finding any.

Yesterday I questioned an assistant and she told me “oh don’t get me started, I could stock the shelves to the top right now (if we had any) and the Chinese would come in and buy it all. We have had to limit the milk to 10 boxes per person but they come in 6 and 8 at a time and take the maximum amount per person , meaning that people like your daughter cannot even get one box.....ditto the special baby juices”

Apparently they send it all back to China . There is a large Chinese population in Newcastle and this is becoming common place in most of the shops that stock baby products. I had to hear it with my own ears and see it to believe it ! shock

Thankfully Evie is only having one bed time bottle a day now which is just as well. Not sure they can do about it ? Making the limits per person 2 or 3 instead of 10 might be a good start though.

GrannyGravy13 Sat 31-Aug-19 18:56:34

In SE Essex I know Sainsbury's, Boots, Waitrose all limit the sale of baby formula to 3 tins per person, I think other retailers have similar policies.

Shaming mothers for not breast feeding is extremely low in my book......I was able to breast feed some of my children but not all of them.

Gonegirl Sat 31-Aug-19 18:56:13

It's nothing to do with cars. rubs hands gleefully grin

Nico97 Sat 31-Aug-19 18:55:05

Wow ! I've only just caught up with this thread and I am gobsmacked at how combative it is. Blimey gillybob if I were you I'd think twice before I put on what was a very generalised type of comment about something happening. It does seem to be the way that GN is progressing lately - either a comment is torn to shreds or it's attack, attack, attack !
For you gilly flowers

Gonegirl Sat 31-Aug-19 18:54:41

There is nothing racist about this thread. The 'Mrs Kia' thing isn't racist either.

I know what it means. gringringrin

GagaJo Sat 31-Aug-19 18:48:09

I agree callgirl1

callgirl1 Sat 31-Aug-19 18:05:16

I`m amazed that most of this thread hasn`t been deleted. I had a post deleted a while back for having the audacity to use the word "foreigner", which was classed by someone to be racist, and I didn`t mention a particular nationality.

EllanVannin Sat 31-Aug-19 18:03:15

I was certainly behind the door when being hard-faced was invented ! I'd be last in any queue giving out something for nothing even. sad

EllanVannin Sat 31-Aug-19 18:00:39

With you all the way gillybob. It's horrible seeing greed !!

Farmor15 Sat 31-Aug-19 17:50:23

gillybob most baby formula is based on cow’s milk, except a few special types, which usually have to be prescribed. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infant_formula .

GagaJo Sat 31-Aug-19 17:46:57

Exactly Tonk. Really kicked off in 2008, according to the article I read.

GagaJo Sat 31-Aug-19 17:45:42

Nope, sorry. Renault. Although it's a heap of merde. I can only assume she thinks Kia is Chinese. I have zero idea.

I know. Not on top of my game. Better get selling the baby milk!

Asda Benton OVERFLOWING with baby formula this pm, in case anyone's looking.

Tonk Sat 31-Aug-19 16:26:50

The Chinese have been doing this for YEARS & there hasn’t been a significant problem with supply so what’s suddenly changed? I suggest you go over to Mumsnet & look at the Preppers forum for your answer.

80% of all baby milk is imported from the EU & with ‘No Deal’ looming, there are people actively stockpiling in case of shortages / delays with supplies.

Project Fear is in full force over there.

Gonegirl Sat 31-Aug-19 16:24:57

Has gagajo got a Kia car?

I need to know what it means.

gillybob Sat 31-Aug-19 16:18:59

Erm nope gonegirl you are very cold !

So the Chinese have recognised a nice little (well not so little ) earner . Buying up all the stocks of baby formula and selling them to China at profit . I wonder if they are declaring this to HMRC ? No matter I suppose . If it doesn’t effect you personally it seems like it’s fine .

Gonegirl Sat 31-Aug-19 15:59:00

Mrs Kia?

Let me make a wild guess. gillybob had been on the car thread and got a little bit mixed up?

(Better brush up your teacher intelligence gagajo before term starts (cos you're sure as hell keeping it well hidden at the moment. grin

SueDonim Sat 31-Aug-19 15:50:13

But the people buying it all still aren't doing anything wrong. If anyone is to blame, it's your local shops for not keeping enough stock. If they can sell a hundred times as much formula then that's what they should be ordering in. Everyone would be happy then - your granddaughter, you, the Chinese, the shopkeepers and the manufacturers.

As for the breast v formula argument - needs must. I've done both in my time, as have my children. There's no discernible difference between them as they've grown up. We're lucky enough in this country to have the conditions to make FF safe.

gillybob Sat 31-Aug-19 15:34:30

She can’t get it on a script as it is supposed to be fully available in the shops . Which it used to be “until the Chinese started buying it all up and sending it to China for profit” oh we have come full circle. smile

SueDonim Sat 31-Aug-19 15:28:24

I thought I was being helpful. I dont know anything about your family's health as I don't read that many threads on GN. If your granddaughter has special dietary milk requirements then perhaps you could ask for it on prescription.

gillybob Sat 31-Aug-19 15:26:32

Despite all the protests and arguments the fact remains as it was . The Chinese population of Newcastle are buying up the stocks of baby milk (and juice) to send back to China for a profit . End of . It’s really not about travelling to another town to try and get one is it ? confused

gillybob Sat 31-Aug-19 15:23:50

Oh how helpful of you but she can’t change to cows milk ever SueDonim . I have mentioned before on GN that she has a lot of allergies ( as has my DD) .

Second thoughts I think you were actually being nasty and not helpful at all weren’t you ? hmm still I have given you the benefit of the doubt with a reply .

SueDonim Sat 31-Aug-19 15:20:55

Trisher I'll ask my son whether freezing changes the taste or texture of halloumi. His wife is vegetarian so they do get through quite a bit of it. Halloumi is regarded as very exotic in the US!

gillybob Sat 31-Aug-19 15:20:53

Thank you lemon. smile

Sadly some people must think
on the lines of “if it doesn’t effect me, I don’t give a stuff” or worse ha ha ha serves you right for not breastfeeding .

SueDonim Sat 31-Aug-19 15:18:15

Quote <<Today 15:05 gillybob

I GOT IT TODAY ! What about next week? The week after ? What about all the other young mothers who are also having problems? And sorry but with a baby yes it is about starving ! it ?>>

Next week, since you've asked, you could do any of these.

1) Amazon.
2) Boots online.
3) Your local chemist.
4) Change to cows milk.

growstuff Sat 31-Aug-19 15:16:02

What a faff that would be! GPs and health visitors are busy enough without having to prescribe baby milk.

Why do people get so moralistic about feeding babies?

lemongrove Sat 31-Aug-19 15:15:07

As I see it, Gillybob started the thread to tell us about the situation in Newcastle, with Chinese customers buying all the baby milk formula they can possibly buy, to ship to China for resale.Which may cause a problem for mothers trying to buy it at times.
It is an interesting situation, and I wonder if it’s replicated in any city with a large Chinese population?
There is nothing racist at all about saying so ( racist is an overused word now.)
There was no need for anyone to post unpleasant comments to Gillybob on this subject.