Anyone interested in what Baby Milk Action found when they rang various carelines?
Spot monitoring conducted by Baby Milk Action shows company carelines are being used to circumvent the ban on advertising of infant formula in the current UK law and provide misleading and dangerous information.
Carelines are promoted heavily in advertisements, fliers, mailings to parents and on the internet. Parents are directed to them for information on infant care.
Baby Milk Action called the carelines in the role of a confused parent wanting to know the difference between the formulas on the market and the particular health claims made about the company?s product.
As a subsequent question, we commented on the notice on Hipp labels that powdered infant formula is not sterile and asked if the same was true of the company?s products and if any action was needed to reduce risks.
Aptamil: room temperature
Asked about the ingredient ?immunofortis - inspired by breastmilk? promoted on labels, the Aptamil advisor said it is: ?Soluble fibres found in breastmilk? which ?liaise with the immune system.?
Asked about the difference between Aptamil and Cow & Gate, both made by NUMICO, she said: ?They are the same blend. The basic ingredients, the trace ingredients are superior stock in the Aptamil. It is better ingredients than the Cow & Gate.?
Asked about sterility and the need to use hot water, she said it wasn?t necessary: ?The reason we say 30 minutes is that is the optimum time. It is a health and safety issue, we don?t want people scalding their hands. People can make it at room temperature.?
Cow & Gate: cold water
The Cow & Gate advisor was asked about the claim that its formulas contain prebiotics and said that prebiotics are present in breastmilk, support the natural immune system and provide food for friendly bacteria. Asked if they are the same as in breastmilk ?Yes, prebiotics are in breastmilk? and added that only Cow & Gate and Aptamil have them.
Asked whether Cow & Gate formula was sterile, she said ?No formula is sterile.? Asked if that was a problem, she said: ?Makes no difference.?
She advised: ?Prepare bottles of sterile water in advance. That stays fresh without refrigeration for 24 hours. Take from the bottle and mix. That formula is good for an hour.?
Farley?s: no temperature advice
Asked about the claim on new Farley?s formula labels saying it contains ?Omega-3 LCPs? Farley?s advisor said: ?It helps develop their brain in their first few months? claiming: ?The Government stresses the importance of Omega 3.? She said only Farley?s had LCPs. Asked if this made it closer to breastmilk than competitors, she said: ?Farley?s is the closest. Yes it is.?
Asked about the need to use hot water as powdered formula is not sterile, her advice was: ?Heat the water and let it cool. I don?t know if it gives the temperature. It says 30 minutes.? The FSA guidance says no more than 30 minutes. Asked if using hot water was important, she said: ?It mixes better? and had nothing to do with sterility.
Which is the best formula?
It is not only information on Carelines which is confusing or simply wrong. A graph on the Cow & Gate website suggests it is the closest to breastmilk. (Can't find the actual one that's in the article, but the one on this page has the same info).
Whereas Aptamil claims in its advertisements in celebrity magazines that it is the ?best formula.?
Farley?s encourages health workers to promote its formula to mothers receiving the government?s healthy start vouchers as the ?best formula, best price?. A graph produced by Farley's puts Farley?s ahead of Cow & Gate.
Wyeth claims its SMA has ?new improved protein balance? and implores users to ?love the milk you give?. A £3 million advertising campaign - supposedly for follow-on milk - promotes the brand name on TV with a father promising to support his partner with night feeds.
Hipp dismisses FSA guidance
The Hipp Careline advisor did not have an answer to questions on sterility, so the Nutritionist phoned back. She said Hipp did not follow the FSA guidance for parents of using water above 70oC because ?you kill the protein and it would be dangerous to hold it.?
When asked about the FSA guidance, she said water at 70oC would cool when it was mixed with the powder so ?the temperature would be lowered anyway.? She claimed ?no-one does it at 70oC? and ?we certainly have no problems with bacteria.?
SMA: not sterile after opening
The SMA advisor was asked about its ?new protein balance?, promoted on labels. She said: ?It makes it closer to the protein found in breastmilk.? She was asked how SMA could be the closest to breastmilk when the Aptamil label and advertising says it is the closest and replied: ?Ours is balanced. It is closest.? Asked about sterility, she said: ?No formula is sterile if it is exposed to the air.?
Despite Hipp claiming no company says to use water at 70oC, SMA did just that: ?We tend to say 70 Degrees. These are new Department of Health Guidelines. It can destroy any bacteria that may be in the powder. Can no longer use water cooled to room temperature. We say boiled for 30 minutes in the kettle.?
UNICEF and WHO advice
WHO recommends mixing formula with water at 70 degrees C. WHO experts say this is the single most effective decontamination step which could reduce the risk 10,000-fold.