White gold rush: Baby milk formula company apologises after China’s Singles Day frenzy leaves Australian supermarket shelves bare

An Australian company has apologised to local mothers after its premium organic baby milk formula flew off domestic supermarket shelves ahead of China's Singles Day buying frenzy on Wednesday.

Consumers spent nearly US$8 billion in the first 10 hours of Singles Day, a 24-hour shopping promotion created by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, with infant formula maker Bellamy's Organic caught up in the world's biggest online retail event.

Bellamy's, based in the southern island of Tasmania, apologised to its Australian customers in a Facebook post Tuesday after complaints from shoppers that they were unable to buy the formula, nicknamed “white gold”, at their local stores.

“We understand at this time, it is difficult to source our range of products and acknowledge the frustration this causes for our Bellamy's mums and dads,” said the company, which is owned by Australian-listed Bellamy's Australia.

Hong Kong introduced restrictions in 2013 that limits outbound travellers to two tins of infant formula. The rule was introduced amid a shortage in milk powder for local parents, as traders snapped up supplies for resale across the border.

Chinese food safety scandals in recent years have dented public confidence in some products, forcing mainland parents to buy milk powder in bulk from abroad.