Help Restrict the Promotion of Formula milk - Send Email to FSA before May 5th

[Pidge]

This is from the Breastfeeding Manifesto Coalition ....

How a baby is fed has profound health implications for both mother and child. It is very important that all parents, those who use formula and who breastfeed, have access to reliable information based on evidence that is free from commercial pressure. Only when this happens will parents be able to make a fully informed decision about how they want to feed their child.

In the UK however, weak laws mean that formula advertising and promotion far outweighs good quality information on feeding. The result of this is that formula feeding mothers find it hard to access reliable information to understand the facts about the various products, including safe preparation and storage of formula milk.,

To improve protection for parents and babies the Breastfeeding Manifesto Coalition is calling for the WHO Code of Marketing of Breastmilk substitutes and subsequent resolutions to become the Law in the UK (Objective 7 of the Manifesto). This is something we are committed to, but it can't happen overnight.

However, we do have an opportunity NOW to help move UK legislation in the right direction and strengthen the legislation governing baby milk promotion in the UK. The Food Standards Agency is consulting until February 5th on the new Guidance which the formula milk advertising must follow when promoting, labeling and advertising formula milk.

Please send the email below and play your part in helping to ensure that the new Regulations are as strong and robust as possible. Public pressure makes a real difference so make your voice heard!

www.breastfeedingmanifesto.org.uk/make_your_voice_heard_2.php/

[Poohbah]

BUMP

[KashaSarrasin]

Sent

[cmotdibbler]

I've done mine

[BouncingTurtle]

Apparently I've already signed this! I do receive regular emails, so must have done it a while back!

[BabiesEverywhere]

Done

[Poohbah]

Bouncing turtles - Is this a different thing to sign though specifically for this lastest consultation???

[throckenholt]

I noticed an advert on tv for formula yesterday - I had never seen one before (I don't think).

What struck me was that it started by saying how wonderful breastmilk etc is for the baby. It then went on to say something like - ok if you don't want to do that then use our wonderful formula - it is pretty much as good (paraphrasing here).

I ranted to DH - they should be able to say that - they should be saying - if so some reason breastfeeding isn't working then you can rely on our formual as the next best alternative - it will give you baby the best start it can have in the absence of breastmilk.

[tiktok]

throckenholt, why would the line you suggest be any better?

There is no evidence that one formula is better than another. They all - yes, all! - claim to be closer to breastmilk and the 'next best alternative'.

It's unethical, uninformative, and misleading.

[youngbutnotdumb]

I'm sorry but as a mother who FF fed my son for 12 months I have to say I find this quite offensive!!! I couldn't BF and am sick and tired of people looking down there noses for it. Shouldn't those who FF be given an option on which Formula they use? Don't see what the big deal is if you don't like it don't watch the bloody adverts! I'm sorry for being so harsh but there are many mothers in turmoil about not being able or a re just uncomfortable with the idea of BF why should we have to watch BF ads and not have a clue which kinds of formula there are and which one is best?

[WinkyWinkola]

I don't think it's a matter of looking down noses, YBND. It's a matter of misleading information. No company should get away with that.

[youngbutnotdumb]

Its not misleading it's saying that it can be used to compliment BF if needed!
God what a bad mother I am not BFing! At the end of the day if it helps my baby grow and stay healthy I don't care where it comes from.

[throckenholt]

tiktok -my point was - their advert was saying something like - if you don't want to breastfeed then our formula is great - which implies there is no real benefit form breast feeding so you can just go with whatever you prefer.

My point is that they should be saying ok - breastmilk is what we should all be doing - but if you can't - for whatever reason - then you should chose our formula (over our competitor - since that is why we are advertising) because we think it is the best alternative on offer.

They will use the same arguement as tobacco advertising - we are not encouraging its use - just trying to make people choose us over our competitors. (dind't believe it for cigarettes and don't believe it for formula by the way).

I don't think it needs advertising (but then I think there is far too much advertising for most things anyway).

[throckenholt]

oops- just realised how badly typed my first comment was

[JodieG1]

Noone is knocking people that ff, that isn't the issue here.

[tiktok]

youngbutnotdumb - the advert is not saying 'it can be used to complement breastfeeding if needed'. The advert states that mothers 'moving on' from breastfeeding can use this product as it has the same protective qualities as breastmilk.

Which is not true.

Throckenholt, are you saying that manufacturers should be permitted to use advertising to mislead people? It's misleading to say 'our formula is the best alternative on offer' 'cos there is no evidence that any formula is better than another!

[tiktok]

Correct, JodieG.

The issue is not about the quality of mothering shown by mothers in their feeding methods.

The issue is that formula milk is being marketed unethically.

Why would anyone, formula or breastfeeding, think that unethical marketing is a good thing?

[youngbutnotdumb]

THE ADVERT DOESN'T SAY DONT BF IT'S SHIT (Im not saying it ios but just making a point) DONT DO IT JUST BUY OUR FORMULA INSTEAD! It's just saying well actually now adys we have formula with devised antibodies that are closer to breastmilk so if u cant ur baby will still survive! WELL THATS ABOUT MY OPINION ON IT ANYWAY!

[youngbutnotdumb]

No they shouldn't be saying their's is better than others! But TBH wouldn't you be moaning if they were just saying 'oh here's aptimal, our formula has antibodies blah ded blah if you can't bf try this' no you would moan about advertising formula in the first place

[throckenholt]

that was it - the "moving on" phrase really bugged me. It implied that when you had enough of the novelty and hassle of breast feeding then jump over to our wonderful formula.

tiktok - I have no idea if one formula is better than another (when I had to use it I just stuck with one brand and hoped that whoever regulates them would make sure they were as good/safe as possible).

But if you are allowing advertising at all - then it is inevitable that they are going to say mine is better - because that is what all advertsing says in one way or another. "better" can just mean it smells better to mum (some really smell rank in my experience), or it mixes better or the packets are more convenient - or whatever.

[tiktok]

Formula milk should not be advertised, though, throckenholt, and there is an international code in operation in many other countries which prevents manufacturers advertising it. Inevitably, as you say, if ads are permitted, the manufacturer will make spurious claims - these are not helpful to mothers and mislead all of them, including formula feeding mothers.

This is bad for infant health - if a baby is formula fed, lets make sure the brand chosen is made on nutritional and health grounds, not on whether the ad the mum saw on TV is the cutest.

Exactly as you say, 'better' can mean all sorts of things. Smell, texture, design on the pack...how does it help infant health to permit the use of words which can be so vague?

[fedupandisolated]

Formula Milk should not be advertised - that's differemt from saying that they cannot promote their milks through the websites and when women contact them.

They all claim their milks are closest to breastmilk and there is nothing to stop those of us who did (or do) formula feed from seeking the information out if we want to know which milk we'd like to try. There is a world of difference between being able to do that and being exposed to their claims willy nilly.

All the research is though that we usually choose the milk that our Mum, sister, best mate used. Nothing to do with us making a "choice". If that milk doesn't work for us though we then go to the latest milk sold to us as "closest to brest milk".

[VictorianSqualor]

I'd like to see the adverts that are allowed actually being completely 100% honest about the bollocks they use to try and get peopel in, how about we start with telling people exactly what it's made out of? Or what these supposed 'antibodies' are, maybe they could come with a list like prescription medicines, with what detriment to babies helth they could be responsible for, or maybe not, see we all know that won't happen so let's just stop it altogether so women who do decide to FF don't have their choice made by some rubbish line added to a pot of powder but by researching it and finding out which formula they would be happy with using.

[Jackstini]

Sent.
Youngbutdumb - I honestly feel that what you needed when you found out you couldn't bf was unbiased information on all formulas so you could make an informed decision.
I really don't think advertising helps women in your situation at all. It just brainwashes confuses them. You need facts, not hype!

[youngbutnotdumb]

Jackstini-
When I found out I couldn't breastfeed I actually went with the midwives on what formula she advised (cow&gate) and am happy with that choice I didn't go for fancy packaging or adverts I went by experience!

[VictorianSqualor]

What basis was the MW choosing cow and gate on though?
When I FF'd DD I used SMA because the MW gave me it, but she still hadn't done any proper research on it, proper research into which formula is best is pretty impossible because they all say they are best, they all make up these new antibodies and stuff they have in them, and they don't give out any information about the formula they make.