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.

Don'tya know it's "just fruit" though? Apparently that makes it ok...

I haven't seen the stands in ASDA for a while actually. Am going in this morning and if they're there I'll lure them into a "my baby is 3 months old" trap lol. I'm not sure if it's c&G directly who employ these people? My friend used to do much the same for Walkers crisps and it was a different company walkers outsourced to. Doesn't make the info given any different I don't suppose- they'll be getting a blurb from C&G.

Actually, if they aren't allowed to market breastmilk substitutes, how come they're still allowed "from 4-6 months" on the labels?

that was the argument i had with organix, suzi, and they said iirc, that as not everyone exclusively breastfed for 6 motnhs, they could not make things harder for them, or some such ..
if something is labelled from 4 months, some parents will think,oh well, 3.5 moinths is not that different... so if stuff was labelled from 6 months, you might have a chance of people not giving it before 5 months or so ..when it is more reasonable to think a baby might be ready .
people promoting formula, baby rice and baby food have a vested commercial interest in selling this stuff earlier to parents, as if they market it from 4 months, that is an extra 2 months of sales than if they market it from 6 months......

it's absolutely appalling
she should be reported to cow and gate and tesco because what she saying is against all nhs, doh and who recommendations.

as regards labelling suzi, it's because companies are just too slow to change their labelling. iirc, they are supposed to be fined for it but it is policed too slowly and they work too slowly to change it. at the end of the day it's all about money and if they cange their labels then they're cutting out 2 months worth or their market it make me so cross. i would love her to stop me with that drivel, but then i am in a bit of a fettle this morning and would happily vent some if pushed

When the weaning guidelines changed I tried to find out why the baby food companies were still saying "suitable from 4-6 months" on the jars. No reply to any e-mails. When I phoned Cow and Gate I was given some waffle which didn't make sense about labelling being governed by EEC regulations. Perhaps if everyone phoned up the Parent Advicelines/Babyclubs etc and complained they might change the labels, but probably not. There'd still be enough parents who think the information must be correct or the Govt wouldn't allow it. Baby food companies will carry on making money by giving wrong information.

Tell yer local newspaper too and they can do a story on it... all newspapers like to bash Tesco. It's the law.

I have never had the fortune of being accosted by these people in the shops yet.

or rather

they have never had the misfortune of accosting me.

Companies make more than 2 months worth of sales by not changing their labelling.
They need to get to the babies as early as possible to get them hooked. If parents wait till 6 months their babies might start grabbing real food and chewing it and show they don't need the commercial stuff.
The companies produce weaning guides saying how many jars to give, including puddings of course so babies fill themselves up and take less formula.
The 7 month jars make them gag (small lumps in liquid spooned in and slipping down the wrong way) so mothers are afraid to give finger foods.
Surprise surprise we end up with a toddler with speech problems who refuses to chew, and schoolchildren who don't recognise a carrot.

v. good point, larkrise.

look at the labelling of weaning foods. they contain things like egg and gluten in the 4 - 6 mo old ones when both these foods are common allergens and should be given no earlier than 6 mos.

BLW will no doubt take off and C&G will make a bag of steamed veg sticks or something lol.

Lady wasn't in ASDA today which was a shame as I was all geared up for it

Larkrise, your baby will have no problem recognising carrots with this sectioning plate. It helps the baby recognise food dontcha know?

Everything crossed for you Pruners.

and mealtimes would just be so boring without one of these

one of my must never do without or baby may gag.

pmsl - I need one of those baby safe things for myself

Wrong information from babyfood and baby milk companies is causing so much confusion for parents (and extra hassle for HV's). I've written to my professional organisation (Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association) who've so far been silent on this issue, don't hold out much hope they'll publish it in the Journal. See copy below.
.......

Health visitor numbers are dwindling, most of us are in "crisis visiting" mode and there's little time to help parents make sense of the misinformation being given out by infant formula and baby food companies.

The NCT issued a press release last week highlighting baby milk manufacturer's inaccurate information on making up feeds. See the NCT website
shorterlink.co.uk/13937

Labels on commercial baby food jars and packets still say "suitable for babies aged 4 - 6 months".

I'm disappointed that the Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association remain silent on this matter. I hope this silence hasn't got anything to do with the revenue received from advertising infant formula in the CPHVA journal.

Thats so awful. I was shocked recently to realise that not only is there loads of food labelled for 4-6 months but that it doens't even conform to the guidelines that were in place over 15 years ago. ie Boots porridge for 4-6 has oats in it. Someone I met bought it and I asked it is just baby rice in it but it wasn't and she said well it said it was ok! So many people must never read labels closely.

Thanks to those of you who posted e-mail contact details for Tesco. I am going to e-mail them tonight. I will send the e-mail to several of the addresses supplied by you in the hope that at least one will get through.

Thanks for all the words of support - I had a horrible feeling that I might have some less than supportive responses today, but no, this is one we all seem to agree on.

Lol at those of you who would have liked a chance to "educate" the lady in question! I have a similar ambition in terms of b/feeding in public. I have a massive list of suitable responses if anyone felt like having a go. I would rather it be me ready for them than perhaps a less than confident first time mum. Anyway I clearly give off vibes which make it clear that I wouldn't stand for any negative comments. I get disapproving glances of course, but not enough for me to respond!

Hi

I had this in Tesco too this week- a woman from Cow and Gate trying to convince me to wean my exclusively bf 4 month old daughter 'because most parents do at 4 months you know'. When I said I wasnt going to she kept saying 'but most people do' as though I was a freak...

will you complain , chocolatehobnob?

am going to go round all the big supermarkets until i find one of these and dare them to try to sell me something?!

i might have to borrow a small baby though.. mine are 8.6 and 2.10 !

it's lulumama in easterish disguise

This makes me so angry! So many people ignore the guidelines precisely because of this kind of thing-they assume they wouldn't be sold it if it wasn't ok.

IMO there needs to be a lot more info on the dangers associated with early weaning-even the NHS weaning guide says not before 17 weeks but gives no reason why. This makes people think that 17 weeks is just another figure and it really makes no difference.

Glad you are following up and I hope there aren't too many 2 month old babies having slop spooned down their throats because someone purporting to know what they are talking about told the mums it was ok.

I think I will complain. I wasnt about to be convinced but the same darn woman accosted me yesterday when DH was there, and when I'd dispatched her he said 'see I told you you should wean early' and I explained it was just C and G advertising, not good health advice... but it might convince someone who hadnt read up as much as I have, so I think I should complain too. They really shouldnt be allowed to peddle duff advice in an attempt to sell their products.

On another note, their food looks awful anyway.

good for you chocolatehobnob..

see, your DH was convinced.. so i bet a lot of others are too

give somoene a uniform and a name badge and they suddenly take on a higher authority!

I'd complain - and copy in Trading Standards and the BabyMilk Law group too (they have an interest in this area, although alas the law doesn't cover 'complementary foods' due to the poor UK implementation of the code).

I complained to TS when Waitrose (of all people) had a formula promotion - they were out to the store within two days, and had been to Waitrose head office within the week to have words.

chocolatehobnob if you don't mind me asking whereabouts are you? (roughly) - I'm wondering if it was the same Tesco? No problem if you don't want to answer on an open forum. We are in the Midlands.