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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Does ethically produced & marketed formula exist?

56 replies

alux · 26/08/2005 20:45

Was wondering if any ethically produced and marketed breastmilk substitute exists. If it does, what is it? how/where do you buy it?

OP posts:
hercules · 26/08/2005 20:46

No idea but interesting question.

moondog · 26/08/2005 20:48

What about that Hipp stuff? Aren't they supposed to be pretty right on?

giraffeski · 26/08/2005 20:51

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Ameriscot2005 · 26/08/2005 20:52

What do you mean by ethically produced?

giraffeski · 26/08/2005 20:52

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sansouci · 26/08/2005 20:52

Hipp stuff tastes disgusting.

giraffeski · 26/08/2005 20:53

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Blu · 26/08/2005 20:55

It all tastes disgusting! So does breastmilk!
DS wouldn't touch aptimil (yes, I bought it because someone told me it was the closest to breast milk!), but would eventually agree to drink small amounts of Hipp Organic.

moondog · 26/08/2005 20:56

Oh! More scoundrels!

Blu · 26/08/2005 21:02

Is this a gap in the market?
How would it be owned, made and sold, to be ethical?
Made by a non-profit making company?
Distributed to what kind of shops (or other outlets)?
Would it be v cheap - to ensure that no-one got rich from it, v expensive, with no promotions allowed - to ensure that no-one was encouraged to buy it as a result of it being 'a bargain', or free on the NHS, on the grounds that the peoople who actually need it really do need it for the survival of their baby, as can't b/f?

sansouci · 26/08/2005 21:05

i swear by Nestlé.

lemonice · 26/08/2005 21:06

Presumably you could spray dry breast milk..but the production method would be the same as cows milk presumably (could also be fresh or long life)

Blu · 26/08/2005 21:07

OR sold at cost price with much razzamatazz, so that people can excercise free choice?

Is it not true that most of the restrictions in selling formula are in reaction to very bad practice in the past, by formula manufacturers, but also in the whole 'cultural' movement in the 60's and 70's when b/f just went out of fashion? was that ALL the formula co's fault?

If we were starting from a more neutral situation, where more women were enabled to b/f, and where we had rates more like scandinavia, would it be necessary to have all these codes?

Am genuinly wondering - (I was amongst the ad-refuseniks!)

Pruni · 26/08/2005 21:10

Message withdrawn

lemonice · 26/08/2005 21:13

Ah right . ijust assumed the obvious, lady produces milk for the purpose of resale..lots of ladies equals lots of milk and they get paid rather than killed

aloha · 26/08/2005 21:15

Blu, I read that the whole collapse in breastfeeding rates began because of the second world war - women were needed in the factories, not at home breastfeeding their babies, so they were told that formula milk was as good as, if not better than breastmilk.
I used Babynat - an organic French brand. But primarily for the pretty packaging, I freely admit. (But also because it contained LCPS from a vegetable source, and I do think these are good)

moondog · 26/08/2005 21:16

It's a toughie isn't it? You could say that it should be controlled by health professionals but that system would be so open to abuse wouldn't it?

Why couldn't it be subject to blanket advertising restrictions,like cigarettes? (Not comparing the two before someone gets their knickers in a twist.) It seems increasingly obvious that the relaxation for so called follow on products is not the answer. The marketing in the guise of helping is more abhorrent than any ad which just proclaimed
'Our formula is the dogs' bollocks! Buy it,lady!'

sansouci · 26/08/2005 21:17

anything that is sold is done so for a profit.

giraffeski · 26/08/2005 21:21

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Pruni · 26/08/2005 21:22

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moondog · 26/08/2005 21:23

When did follow ons come in then?
Also,you hear so many people going on about being fed evaporated milk and so on.Was any serious harm done?

moondog · 26/08/2005 21:24

Ahem....it was me who was told by a bfc who prepares info on b/feeding for talks in schools and so,that weasel milk is closest to human milk!

The point is made to highlight how nonsensical it is to asume that because the milk is from a cow,then it's acceptable for babies!

aloha · 26/08/2005 21:25

Well, I suppose it's hard to measure 'harm'. I did once hear someone eminent describe formula as 'an uncontrolled mass experiment on human beings' (please note: that's not me saying that), and said he thought it might be linked to rising rates of depression due to lack of essential fatty acids etc at a critical time for brain development. Which is why I actually do think prebiotics and LCPs in formula is a very good idea for those who cannot, for any reason, breastfeed.

lemonice · 26/08/2005 21:26

breast milk for commercial production Here

moondog · 26/08/2005 21:28

That's very interesting aloha.