# Why is baby formula stolen so much? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 31, 2003, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-baby-formula-stolen-so-much/221886 "2003-12-31T04:00:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![effac3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@effac3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/effac3d)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-baby-formula-stolen-so-much/221886/1 "2003-12-31T04:00:49Z")
I have seen this said and have also seen some grocery stores that lock up the formula in glass cases. But why? Are new parents that strapped for cash or is there some black market for baby formula? Cigarettes make sense but baby formula? ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-baby-formula-stolen-so-much/221886/2 "2003-12-31T04:18:12Z")
Baby formula is pretty expensive, about $20 a can which lasts I think maybe 2-3 weeks. I’ve blocked my “formula memories” out since lil’ pumpkin-head switched over to whole milk. ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-baby-formula-stolen-so-much/221886/3 "2003-12-31T04:19:49Z")
Actually if you have a newborn and you’re not breastfeeding then the lil’ munchkin is probably going through 1-2 $20 cans _a week_. ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-baby-formula-stolen-so-much/221886/4 "2003-12-31T04:21:37Z")
Actually, from what I understand, the powdered stuff is used to cut street drugs for sale; some places limit access and the quantity you’re allowed to buy at one time, for that reason. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-baby-formula-stolen-so-much/221886/5 "2003-12-31T04:23:37Z")
Yes, there’s apparently a black market in baby formula. Who knew? [shrug] From a Google cache (the article isn’t there any more). [http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:KSisTBqF5lkJ:](http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:KSisTBqF5lkJ:) [www.findarticles.com/cf\_dls/m0841/5\_36/80346108/p1/article.jhtml+baby+formula+"black+market"&hl=en&ie=UTF-8](http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m0841/5_36/80346108/p1/article.jhtml+baby+formula+%22black+market%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8) > [@](#): > > Nutrition Today, Sept-Oct, 2001 > > International crime organizations have recently taken to stealing, relabeling, and reselling powdered baby formula, often selling it as a higher priced product back to the supermarkets. This new crime puts infants at high risk for getting the wrong formula, or one that is outdated, not to mention ripping off the parents and the grocery stores. Professional thieves who hire shoplifters offer high incentives for baby formula, an expensive and therefore lucrative specialty item in constant demand, especially those formulas for infants with special nutritional needs. Individual grocery stores and the Food Marketing Institute are working to contain, control, and prosecute these crimes to protect the infant, for whom these formulas are usually the sole source of food. > > (Washington Post, August 4, 2001) > > COPYRIGHT 2001 Lippincott/Williams & Wilkins > COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group ---
**Author:** ![Gremlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df788c/32.png) [@Gremlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gremlyn)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-baby-formula-stolen-so-much/221886/6 "2003-12-31T04:43:08Z")
Believe it or not though, some people ARE that strapped for cash. I have three young children (ages 4, 2, and 1) and there has been many a time where I had to scrape up enough change (yes, even pennies) to buy a bag of diapers or a can of formula. Having babies isn’t cheap in the least bit, especially when you have them close together. So while I do believe that there’s some sort of demented black market for formula, I also know how it is when your baby needs something that you just can’t buy. I’m lucky for having the family I do, if I need something and can’t get it, they sure as hell will… but some people don’t have that “cushion” to fall back on. Grem ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-baby-formula-stolen-so-much/221886/7 "2003-12-31T11:50:30Z")
I’ve heard of this (the formula being stolen), and I can see how it can become a major problem. For whatever reason (can someone start on this showing why?) women have been over the last number of decades eschewing breast-feeding. So add to, for the most part, mothers not feeding the way human anatomy was designed to for whatever reason, you still have to feed the kid. The formula makers know that you have to keep the kid alive. Therefore, they can iincrease profits, making the cost prohibitive to some. Kid needs food you can’t afford = it’s stolen. BTW, the breastfeeding part referred to women with breast cancer, mastectomies, etc. Stuff that just is, not choice. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-baby-formula-stolen-so-much/221886/8 "2003-12-31T11:52:22Z")
oops, 2nd line of that response was to ask for a thread. Though don’t know if it would be appropriate ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-baby-formula-stolen-so-much/221886/9 "2003-12-31T14:05:33Z")
I had a manager and she qualified for the WIC program and she got an awful lot of formula. More than she could ever use. I wonder…? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-baby-formula-stolen-so-much/221886/10 "2004-01-01T01:23:41Z")
FWIW son of Rick works at Babies-R-Us. I aksed him about this. BRU does not lock up the formula powder, but he said that the local supermarkets do. Go figure.