to add Annabel Karmel products to my boycott of Nestle?

[GoldenSnitch]

I've been a "fan" of Annabel Karmel's page on Facebook for a while now and occasionally get updates when she changes her status. The most recent of these changes read "check out some amazing recipes we created from nestle wholegrain, had a lot of fun with mummy bloggers and zoe ball, greg searle and lesley waters giving tips and advice".

A few people have commented on this posting with comments regarding how unhappy they are that Annabel Karmel would be seen to be supporting a company that many people regard as not having babies and children's best interests at heart. As someone who's entire career is based on childhood nutrition, it seems like a very unwise partnership to create.

In response to the comments made 'Annabel Karmel' (I realise it's her marketing team, not the woman herself) have responded with a link to an official statement on her web page. The statement reads like this - "We have had a few enquiries about my association with Nestle whole grain cereals campaign. Amazingly 90% of Brits don?t eat enough whole grains, so we had great fun devising recipes using Nestle whole grains such as buzzy bees and salmon fishcakes. We know that all mums are pressed for time so not only are my recipes fun but are really quick and easy to make.

We were only involved with the whole grain cereals campaign, however there were a few concerns about the association Nestle parent brand itself and the marketing of infant formula. We are happy to work with Nestle the company and my decision was based on the evidence as it stands today.

I agree with and firmly support Neslte?s belief breast feeding is the best way to feed a baby. However, not all mothers can breast feed and the only suitable substitute to breast milk approved by the World Health Organisation is infant formula. It is evident that Nestle complies with the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk substitutes (1981) and is very sensitive to the challenges that confront mothers in developing countries."

Link to statement

Now, as far as I was aware, the whole point of the Nestle boycott is that Nestle do not comply with the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk substitutes (1981)

They may be forced into complying in the UK, but they're not quite so constrained when it comes to some third world countries. Babymilkaction has some more details of where and how they're thought to be breaking the rules. They say that "Nestlé is targeted with the boycott because monitoring conducted by the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) finds it to be responsible for more violations of the World Health Assembly marketing requirements for baby foods than any other company"

So, seeing as the whole statement justifying the involvement with Nestle seems to be utter rubbish, AIBU to add boycotting Annabel Karmel to my Nestle boycott?

I don't rate her food, tasteless and not at all appetising for DC. Her food products are the same. My best friend cooked something for her DS, and he eats pretty much anything... he spat whatever it was out, and that was that.

It shocked me to see story of the levels of salt etc in her food, I thought if they were that goddawfully bland, they would have been utterly salt free.

I liked GFs family cooking book, really good food, simple and it shows how to jazz up the childs meal for the taste and capability of a child.

Last year at a food festival I had a choice of either hearing AK speak in a super-plush marquee with a sound system and goody bags or hearing Gill Rapley in an Argos gazebo

dh listened to AK for 5min then came to join me saying she was utterly unhinged

I am not a fan of the boycott, as I have argued on here before but if you do boycott Nestle, then of course YANBU to boycott AK for her involvement with them.

What I find truly bizarre is that this is supposed to be healthy eating.

Yes, whole grains are good for you. But you do not have to eat Nestle whole grain cereals to get that goodness into your DC.

Try baking with whole grain flour. A slice of wholemeal bread a day is healthier than Nestle cereals. My DC are allowed cereals but I don't fool myself into thinking they are fantastically healthy food.

As an aside I found something on her website:

11. Watch out for the gimmicks yourself!

Seemingly healthy and nutritious foods can often be deceiving. If you are looking for something healthy and you find your eye drawn to a product claiming to be low fat or ?full of calcium for healthy bones? make sure you check to see how much salt, fat and sugar it contains. The label on Nestle Cinnamon Grahams for example tells you that wholegrain contains ?essential nutrients?to help keep you and your family healthy from the inside out? but a closer look at the label shows that the cereal is very high in sugar in salt.

Hmm, not quite so convinced yourself Ms Karmel.

YANBU to boycott her for the Nestle connection

YABU not to have boycotted her for being a smug, smary, self satisfied, misleading inconsistent money grabbing (baby puree freeing trays anyone? what wrong with an ice cube tray????) 'parenting' expert.

Even as a nervous first time Mum (not now, but BITD) I found her stuff outrageously patronising and utterly mad.

Happy to say DS would screech if I suggested buying any of her stuff....obv I used to take him for a treat of a sausage roll and chips a doughnut and fruit shoot whenever he did refuse her stuff

She is the most awful woman! I watched that show about readymeals and she came off as smug and superior, and more than a little bit patronising. She says one thing in her book, but will sell out for the cash.

YANBU

Actually, after browsing her website I am surprised that AK is not boycotted on MN anyway.

Have you noticed that her Kid's Cooking Sets are all PINK. "Your little Princess will love these"

I've got her books, I've used her recipes but since seeing that interview where she defends the rubbish that is in her ready meals I am shocked at the hypocrisy of the dreadful woman. urgh.

i borrowed her book in a fit of desperation with my v. fussy dd. i would work myself in a lather creating some bizarre connoction, which to be fair, seemed to taste quite nice. dd would just chuck it on the floor. to paraphrase what a poster said yesterday about cats, the more saucepans you use the more babies will laugh at you.

"the more saucepans you use the more babies will laugh at you"

LOL

i have to give lemonmeringue the credit though

OOh, we might need to calm down a little or she might become
TOSWMNBN

Never seen her? You must google immediately! She's Krystal Carrington from Dye-nasty but with more botox and bouffant.

She joined Babycentre the other week to defend herself when there was a thread laughing discussing her. She might come here now

Has anyone heard of Fi Bird. She is very vocal on Twitter about MN. She goes into schools to cook with DC there. I might order her book, it looks good.

She is not as glossy as AK. But I think she might take that as a compliment.

I'd boycott her for saying "We know that all mums are pressed for time" (dads aren't clearly, nor do they feed their dcs) and for referring to "Brits". Yuck.

Oh she'll just love the extra publicity we are generating for her - I wouldn't worry

The more I hear the less I like her.

The 'your wife will be able to cook the same food that you've always had at home' comment is horribly sexist!

My son has made bang bang chicken and he's not 3 yet!! I'd be mortified if he left home not able to cook.

Blimey. Thanks for pointing this out.

MmeLindt I've not seen your anti-Nestle-boycotting arguments. Could you point me in the direction? I'd be interested to read them.

Well, basically I don't see the point in making life hard for myself for a boycott that has been going on for many years and has not really had an impact.

Until I came on MN I had no idea about a boycott.

I don't think that it is effective, so why should I deny myself chocolate Nespresso coffee?

If someone comes up with a way of persuading Nestle to change their practices, then I will gladly support that.

You are all welcome to flame me now for that, I have had the argument before.

I know you've probably heard it before MmeLindt buy I can't help myself from saying it - if everyone who thought they wouldn't make a difference joined in, then we could make much more of a difference.

This goes for everything from boycotting Nestle to recycling rubbish.

The only way to create a large scale movement is for everyone to join in.

It's a bit like Mumsnet. It starts with Justine, Carrie and a website and ends up as the massive thing it is today only because lots of people joined. What if the first few members had said "it's not worth it, there are too few of us to make difference"??

Not wanting to start the argument again by the way - just needed to have said it.

I've not see the anti-Nestle-boycotting conversation before else I'd have posted that there...

MmeLindt OK so I have to answer too as I asked the question

I have been following the boycott for 15 years and in that time have seen dramatic changes in how they practise. There is absolutely no doubt that the boycott has worked exceptionally well in improving their practises in developing countries. This is have seen first hand in trips to Africa, and also by following it with a relative who's worked there with children's charities since the early 1990s.

And as golden says, joining always makes a difference!

But it's a big commitment really, and I miss stuff like San Pelligrino water and Body Shop stuff (owned by L'Oreal which is part owned by Nestle). On the other hand I wouldn't touch Nescafe or any Nestle chocolate stuff as I'll always go fair trade, so that's not a problem for me.

Your choice is yours, but make it for you, not because you don't think you'll make a difference - because you will

Incidentally, they've done a lot but there's still a long way to go. Their crap about supporting breastfeeding is simply crap.

In Africa, one in 20 babies born to HIV mothers who are breastfed will die of AIDS from breastmilk infection. Howevere, 1 in 5 babies given formula in non-rich areas will die when bottle fed. 3 reasons: 1) parents causing mal-nourishment by not being able to afford enough powder so they water it down enough, 2) dirty water, 3) HIV infected mums breastfeeding at night and bottle in the day which is the worst combination as the bottle feeding reduces the natural defense against the disease that ironically comes through the mum's breastmilk.

Despite this, Nestle et al continue to promote their formula in areas where these problems are rife. Fortunately they rarely now do so dressed as nurses and midwives .