Why advertising formula milk is illegal and why what Milupa is doing is wrong

Oh, Caligula, you'll get no work done again!

Aptamil is an upmarket brand. I think it might even be more expensive than the others. They were certainly targeting upmarket mothers, rather than all mothers.

Whilst I wanted to breastfeed I ended up giving formula in hospital. As I said I wanted to continue b/feeding I was advised to use Aptimil as it was the "closest to breast milk". Under the circumstances (v hungry baby needing fed now!)I didn't have to time investigate the differences etc, so went with what the midwife said. Am of course very curious as to where she got this infomration from? I have to say that out of all my (v middle class) friends who ended up using formula, they used Aptimil for this very reason.

i've thought a little about this overnight and have to agree that the milupa advertorial (which is what it is, and therefore worse imo than a straight ad) is insidious and wrong, borderline illegal and I totally understand why people have a major problem with it. I breast and formula fed.

Also, 'follow on milk' is the biggest con ever isn't it?

That was an interesting link, it actually mentions the website which is linked to from the home page, I think...I assumed that milupa would have their legal eagles very carefully assess each of these promotions but it seems it's a case of act and get the publicity and wait to be brought to book...are there penalties for violations

It is very naive to say that advertising does no harm or to think that it does not affect the choices people make. After all, why would advertisers spend vast amounts of money on it, if it had no effect?
Agree with others-advertising formula is immoral and shuld not be allowed, especially on a site such as this.

I know people put off breastfeeding by too much pressure to do it.

I think that adverts increase the levels of bottle feeding. Smoking rates decreased when they banned advertising.

I think that mumsnet made a bad decision allowing formula advertising on its site. According to current statistics bottle feeding reduces the life expectancy of babies and increases breast cancer rates in mothers.

Thank you for drawing my attention to an add that I normally wouldn't have bothered to read. You are providing excellent publicity for milupa. As for the ad seems to start witha load of stuff about breast being best how terrible is that?

If you look on the link (Mears' first post) to Baby Milk Action and check out examples of regulation violation (countless examples from named companies) you will see that it matters a great deal.
Milupa is a greedy and immoral money making machine. Those of you saying 'So what,it's only an ad.' are playing into their hands which they are rubbing in glee.

interesting

Has anyone been on to the NCT about it? They are probably going to be the most effective organisation to deal with the issue of formula feed companies setting up helplines etc., in a wider context.

Thinking about it, shock horror, I think I once worked on Milupa. I honestly had forgotten about it, but I remember the client was very keen back then on reaching upmarket mums and even long term, setting up a helpline (this was years ago). They genuinely did want to give advice about breastfeeding. The problem of course being, that if they don't do it in conjunction with a knowledgeable body (like the NCT for example) and they only do it with the NHS (whom we all know are about as much use as a chocolate teapot) then with the best will in the world (and some of us may question if they have the best will in the world) they will do it wrong. And actually, that's not in the long term interest of their brand, because their helpline will become known (by those in the know) as crap and that kind of PR is very hard to counter. And they know that.

I guess Milupa would argue that's what they're doing (providing information in accordance with reg.21), but it's a blatant advert dressed up as support for parents and all the more insidious for that.

If they get away with this marketing strategy, surely that's the beginning of the end of the advertising ban?

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"Aptamil is definitely infant formula and not follow on."

Not entirely true - "Milupa Aptimal Forward" - is an follow on milk. And they also do an "Milupa Aptimal Growing up Milk" - don't know if they are able to 'work round' the legislation because of that??

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please do, Giraffeski

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Wordsmith, the Infant Forumla and Follow-on Formula Regulations ban advertising of formula for babies under 6 months old (regulation 17). This is a law, rather than an advertising code.

You can complain to your local trading standards office (I already have). I think they co-ordinate with other local offices in the case of nationally-available adverts.

But if MN have taken advertising which they know to be illegal then they are in the wrong and have broken the code! They are a media outlet as much as a newspaper is - report them now!!!

formula milk is milk for babies from birth=no advertising outside closed publications (eg those addressed to health professionals rather than the general public)

follow on milk from six months can be advertised

I don't think MN have done anything wrong. They've taken an advert which helps keep the site up and running. They are not to know the ads contents.

Miluoa are very much in the wrong not MN.