No free parking for just formula

[SquawkFish]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3929020/Demonised-buying-baby-milk-Tesco-bans-mother-s-car-park-discount-bought-formula-milk-s-EU-rules.html

Just a bit shocked by this despite thinking I was quite pro breastfeeding. Would be interested to hear others views, particularly as the baby is being formula fed due to medical reasons.

[DoingTheBestICan]

Formula food cannot be included in any offers, I used to work in Boots and it is excluded from the points system.

[exLtEveDallas]

It's nothing to do with BF or FF. It's the law.

[Scooby20]

But why is it law?

[fourcorneredcircle]

"Formula is not the same as fags" ... surely the DM haven't misquoted PAS spokesperson to sound more salacious ...

[EdithWeston]

It's correct under the law/guidelines as stands.

Retailers cannot include formula in any discount or offer.

And it's been like that for years - a global ban following the utterly reprehensible marketing activities of formula companies in the third world.

[TresDesolee]

It's also fuck all to do with the EU (not swearing at anyone on the thread but this is a pure fucking lie from the Mail)

It's the World Health Authority guidelines incorporated into UK law by the British government. EU had sweet FA to do with it.

All that said I agree the WHO code is too blunt when it comes to parents using formula in developed countries. Shaming people at the tills is shitty.

[tabulahrasa]

"But why is it law?"

Infant Formula is not to be promoted or advertised in any way, that includes special offers, points...and apparently parking.

[BlurryFace]

Stupid fucking law, Boots won't give points for formula here either even though it's a mainland law, not a local one.

[44PumpLane]

Yep, it's a shame the person in the supermarket wasn't perhaps a bit more sympathetic but I don't know what the lady expected them to do.

It's legally not allowed to be included in any points offer or special offer (such as parking validation).

[GreatFuckability]

Its a ridiculous extension of an already fairly dubious law in my opinion.

[DoingTheBestICan]

When people asked us this in Boots we were told to say the Govt will not allow formula food to be 'promoted' by giving points for buying it as it could be seen as promoting FF.
It is law.

[CotswoldStrife]

No incentives can be attached to formula milk, this is not the store's choice but an EU regulation. Annoying though it is not to get the parking refund, it is ridiculous to go to the papers over this

[dingdongdigeridoo]

I don't know why they feel the need to highlight that she's not breastfeeding for medical reasons. Who cares what her reasons are for FF? It's entirely up to her.

[welshweasel]

I totally get why they can't offer free parking with formula (not saying I agree with it) but surely the cashier would have just suggested buying another low cost item such as chewing gum so that she could get it? She may have done. Who knows, might have just been a good excuse for a daily mail sad face.

[Scooby20]

Infant Formula is not to be promoted or advertised in any way, that includes special offers, points...and apparently parking

I know what the law is. But why? I think it's disgusting.

[EdithWeston]

Here's the Wiki page on the history of restrictions on the marketing of breastmilk.

It started with internation agreement in the UN (WHO) back in 1981.

[fourcorneredcircle]

It's the law because it used to be normal for formula companies to market themselves as "better" for baby than breast milk (coz it's scientificly designed, innit) to the point that parents were being conned and breast feeeding, despite all the evidence to the contrary was seen as "lesser". The companies were asked to stop, they didn't. Governments across the EU tried to counteract the formula companies advertising etc. By funding national campaigns for education about breast being best, the formula companies just spent even more on advertising.

There's nothing wrong with FF if that's what you choose, or for some reason that's what your baby has to have HOWEVER these laws were brought about because formula companies repeatedly flouted evidence and played on people's fears about doing the best for their child.

[Tangoandcreditcards]

Urgh. I hate this. Had the same years ago (think I posted on here at the time) when had to pay £4 delivery TO STORE for formula that they didn't stock even though I'd spent enough for free delivery. Purely because it was formula.

It's not the law (as the promotion is contingent on expenditure rather than the actual purchase). And it's a very "computer says no" interpretation of it.

[CotswoldStrife]

Commission Directive 2006/141/EC

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/3521/contents/made

This is the existing legislation for England, from 2007.

[MrsJayy]

It is a ridiculous law but it is to do with formula companies making claims of we are best against each other iyswim.

[Feelingworriednow]

Slight aside but you can't show an "obviously non fertile women" (or any male) feeding a small baby with a bottle either. It's ok for follow on milk, so bigger child, but not baby milk. The reasoning is that this promotes one of the benefits of bottle feeding which is that someone else can do it. 'Tis true I promise!

[WinnieTheW0rm]

"No incentives can be attached to formula milk, this is not the store's choice but an EU regulation"

No, not EU, UN

[RustyBear]

Tresdesolee- if the Mail is lying about it being due to EU regulations then so is the Guardian - it's in their story too, as a quote from the Dept of Health.

www.theguardian.com/business/2016/nov/12/mother-refused-free-parking-at-tesco-due-to-baby-formula-purchase

[WinnieTheW0rm]

"Governments across the EU tried to counteract the formula companies advertising etc."

Not EU, governments across the world

[Tangoandcreditcards]

It's really not the law cotswold.

The store's legal team could very easily interpret the legislation so that an all-formula purchase could qualify for free parking/delivery. They have chosen not to. More because they're risk-averse than because they are greedy but it's crap when you fall foul of it, especially (but not only) if formula feeding was not a choice.