Inappropriate "advice" from baby food company representative?

[onepieceoflollipop]

First of all, apologies if this is in the wrong topic, wasn't sure whether to post here, in weaning, or AIBU, or even elsewhere.

I was in Tesco a couple of days ago, and approached by a representative from Cow and Gate asking "are you buying any jars today?" I answered politely that no I wasn't. (I don't have any issues with jars btw, I just tend to do a mix of mash and finger foods with dd2).

This woman went on to try and give me all kinds of advice, in a pleasant but fairly forceful manner. What worried me was that she said more than once that she had been advising some of the mums that once the babies reached 2.5 - 3 months or more, then it was fine to start them on rice if the "hungry baby" milk wasn't satisfying them. She claimed that "some of the mums this morning" had been told by their HVs that they should wait until 17 weeks but made it clear that she felt the HVs were wrong. She didn't mention breastfeeding at all. She spoke approvingly of the "good old days" when very young babies had rice or Farex in their bottles routinely. I briefly mentioned that dd2 had lasted on milk for 25 weeks (I didn't enlighten her as to whether it was formula or b/milk - not relevant particularly).

Anyway, I am not sure if I should complain either to her company or to Tesco. What I think is inappropriate is that she is telling women that weaning from around 2.5months - 3 months is fine. Also she seemed to be doing a bit of an advert for hungry baby milk.

Complain to Cow and Gate and Tesco.

I'd want to complaint to the company and the supermarket. That is not on! Like being harrangued by my mil, lol!

Seems very ill advised. I would complain to both companies.

she has not farking right to be advising on infant feeding

did you get a name? complain to cow and gate

and tesco

and report to baby milk action maybe? i know it is not about milk per se, but advising that 2 -3 months old need anythinh otehr than milk is dangerous and wrong

My reservation is that I seem to complain about this sort of thing from time to time and I worry about complaining unnecessarily.

I complained more than once in Asda who insisted on putting baby formula in the reduced section. I then overheard a staff member on the shop floor laughing about me to his colleague - "some stupid woman complaining..." or words to that effect. I went up to him and said loudly "oh yes that was me!" I later reported Asda to Trading Standards and they were lovely about it.

From these responses seems that I should report this particular situation. Thank you.

You're not over-reacting - she is giving advice which contradicts what the NHS recommends. I'd complain too - I'm actually quite shocked tbh

Lulu I have her first name from her badge.

I know she has to do her job but I am sure that Cow and Gate's official line MUST be that she can't recommend ANY baby food before 17 weeks?? - surely?

My local NCT get fed up with me ranting on to them about this sort of thing hence me starting a thread here.

it goes against the NHS advice re infant feeding and DoH and UNICEF and WHO

she does not know better than them, that much i do know

it makes me soooooooo cross

Two and a half months??!!! It's worrying because I bet lots of people listened to her advice, thinking her some kind of expert. Was she just a Tesco demonstrator with no qualifications in this area? Shocking.

god I'd complain to

Tesco
Cow & Gate
and the asa www.asa.org.uk/asa/

Christ lucky for her she never encountered me... Well actually I got thrown out one once for tackling a baby milk personage offering out sample of ready made milk ( this was 14 yrs ago in NZ) I challenged her to drink it. And repeated back to her when she refused. Suitable from birth you know, when are due to be born love?
what got me turfed was whipping tit out and offering a taste test

No idea what qualifications she has... as Lulu says she doesn't know better that the DoH, UNICEF et al.

I did worry that she may have accosted a number of mums who were less confident than me, in fact by her own admission she did. Those who confided in her that they were uncertain about the advice given by their own HVs - she gave her own "better" advice which of course included selling them Cow and Gate products, be that "Hungry Baby" milk, baby rice, jars and who knows what else.

She almost blocked my way to the Organix biscuits (!) she then tried to sell me cereal. I said (truthfully) that mini lolly has normal cereal. I think I confused her.

i doubt she is a breast feeding counsellor !

good for you piffle!

i did complain to organix about their labellling of baby food, and they sent me a hamper of their products

Piffle

This is so reassuring for me knowing that I am not over reacting. So many people are hesitant to raise these issues.

I feel very passionately about it all, but underneath I can get anxious and think that I am being unreasonable. I have been very very in the past, but until I found mnet never found any like minded people.

It must go against Cow & Gate's official line, surely? Their corporate stance can't be "ignore what your medical advisors tell you and pump your two-month-old full of baby rice". Definitely, definitely complain.

i was not that angry about this sort of thing until mn

it is importnat, IMO, that we make sure the correct advice is out there

then it is up to people whether they follow it or not, but the wrong advice being peddled for commercial gain, is not on.

when i say we, i mean like minded people, rather than me and lollipop!

I was mellow then, now I'd probably try and throw things dirty nappy stylee at her. Or worse perhaps if I had pms

Lulu that is how I feel. So many people accept that this is the way things are...sometimes we (i.e. everyone, not just you and me!!) need to stand up for what is right.

Ooooh! This REALLY makes me angry
Definitely take it further.

you should join baby milk action!!

definitely complain and back it up with the official advice, and let us know how you get on!

definitely complain.

the C&G rep I met was simply hilariously hornswoggled when she tried to give me some powdered cereal sachet to try.

Me: no thanks, he's exclusively bf.
Her: (jaw drops) but, but... he's HUGE.
Me: yes, I know. (huge cheesy )
Her: how old is he? (jaw still around cleavage)
Me: nearly 6m!
Her: (checks packet) But it says on here, this is from 16 weeks.
Me: Yes, I know, but all the recommendations from the dept of health etc. are that it should be just milk til 6m. Byeeee.

She just stared as we trollied off, heh heh.

pmsl at piffle

i thikn it is a disgrace that thse companies are allowed to promote this stuff !! when they are clearly not going to give safe advice

actually the c&g packet I had from her has the official "DoH recommends..." blah blah blah on the back. She hadn't even read her own product label!