Baby formula companies providing free product during coronavirus outbreak? Fact Check

Various messages spreading online claim that parents can obtain free cases of baby formula during the coronavirus outbreak by calling the number on the back of their baby formula products.

Many variants of the message specifically cite certain products, including Good Start, Enfamil and Similac.

FALSE

Examples of messages as they appear on social media are below.

If any parents have run out of formula or are running low – call the number on the back of your canister and explain to them the virus has affected your abilities to find any formula – they will send you a case free of charge! I know, enfamil and goodstart do this! Saw a few mommies posts & figured it could be worth a try!

For parents who cannot find formula in stores for their babies right now grab the can of formula that you do have, and call the number on the back and they will send you a whole case during this time!

For parents who can’t find formula in stores. Call the number on the back of formula can and they will send you a case during this time! Childcare providers share this information!!!

We could find no information pertaining to such a program from any major supplier of baby formula, including the companies mentioned in many variants of this claim. The messages on social media fail to mention which locales this free promotion is purported to apply within.

On their website, Enfamil have dismissed the rumours.

We are committed to helping every baby get the formula he or she needs. That’s why we are doing everything we can to ensure product availability in our Enfamil Shop and at your neighborhood store, which you can locate by using the Enfamil Store Locator. Contrary to rumors in some online social networks, we are not distributing free cases of formula. We are instead focused on ensuring equitable availability for every baby.

It is quite unlikely that Enfamil would provide free cases to parents who cannot find baby formula since they have an online shop where parents can purchase Enfamil products directly. In the United States it is currently free shipping on orders over $30.

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We also spoke to Nestlé Canada (Nestlé are the company behind Good Start baby formula) who told us the information was false –

This is incorrect and we’re not sure why this misleading information is being spread in the midst of the evolving coronavirus pandemic. We can confirm that the only free Good Start samples/product we have are available exclusively through our Nestle Baby and Me Program.

Gerber, the subsidiary of Nestlé that produces the Good Start products added the following message to their hotline denying the rumor.

We are aware of a rumor circulating on social media that states there are free cases of formula if you call and request them. While we are more than happy to suggest retail partners to you to help you locate our products, we do not have any sampling programs available at this time.

Similarly the Similac US team told us they do not have a program that sends out free cases of product.

We do not have a program for this, and apologize for the inconvenience. We are closely monitoring the coronavirus across our business operations and working with local teams and relevant authorities as the situation evolves. As of now, there has been no impact on availability of Abbott nutrition products or distribution in the U.S. We have a large manufacturing and distribution network and have plans in place to manage contingencies as needed. If a customer does not see their baby’s Similac infant formula on their local store shelf, they may want to ask the store manager to special order it for them. Customers can check out our store locator to find another retailer near them.

And Aptamil has responded –

This is not true and I’m really sorry to hear that people are spreading false rumours at such a worrying time.

We have found no statements or literature regarding such a promotion where customers can get free product shipped to their addresses during the coronavirus outbreak, and as such we rank this claim false.