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.

In Boots yesterday,I noticed rather large notices saying that they were 'really sorry' about the fact that legislation prevented them offering discounts on formula.

The tone was one of 'bloody spoilsports' I felt.

Lollipop, I'm in Newcastle and it was a huge Tesco extra, one of the massive ones... I reckon this was a national promotion....

Oh ours is one of the "Extra" stores as well - in fact when it opened it was the biggest in Europe - probably not now though. Guess you are right,probably a national promotion.

moondog our Boots has similar notices, plus ones on all the shelves saying how sorry they are that they are not allowed to give advice on specific formula milks (or similar wording). As many people (probably inc yourself) have mentioned in the past, they are allowed to sell the formula as cheaply as they like, as long as it is not a special offer or promotion. Obviously it is not in their business interests to do so. I complained once that they were selling cut price formula. (marked down as being discontinued)

The manager rang me back at home literally within minutes, was most anxious I did not report to Trading Standards. Made me suspect that they had been reported and didn't want to be reported again so soon.

Interesting Lolli!

lol. makes note to to to Tescos for the first time in 2 yrs.

lol. makes note to go to Tescos for the first time in 2 yrs.

Quick update - I had an e-mail response from the "Consumer Assurance Manager" - C&G - she advises me that she is "most concerned" by my experiences and assures me she will look into it and get back to me...

It is no excuse but I doubt very much that the woman in the supermarket works directly for cow and gate, she will be from an agency. Because image is so important to them they probably will be gutted at this, not for the right reasons of course.

I feel a bit of a cow reporting the rep...she was very pleasant in her manner as I think I said earlier on the thread.

However I feel very strongly that what she was doing was wrong, and I feel (particularly after the support I have had from all of you) that I have done the right thing.

don't feel a cow, she was wrong and she would have been warned about spouting such crap.

It's amazing the affect advertising has. With my ds dh was all for switching to formula with his first growth spurt at 5 days. I held out, as I bf first and foremost out of laziness, and lo, behold a few days later he smugly was quoting from a Jeremy Vine about breast is best and how we were doing the right thing.

The sort of stuff she was spouting was irresponsible, so no matter how nice she was, she still needs reporting so she can be trained to give the correct advice (all pigs fed then)

Good on you lolli, off to tesco this afternoon...

you have done the right thing

encaouraging parents to buy food to give to babies 3 months before the recommended weaning age is dangerous.

and being in a unifrom and looking official will mean people will listen to her

hope they take it very seriously

have been flicking through a magazine this morning and a big advert for heinz baby gravy, suitable from 4 - 6 months

it is absolultey endemic the notion that babies of 4 months old need food

Baby Gravy?
uggghghghg

I am just surprised that none of you have said Jordan was doing the demos in Tesco with a sleb mag photographer lurking.

On the other hand I suspect that the lady actually selling the products will only be trained in sales, and have been given targets. She was prob giving information that she will have been given when she had her own children or if too young, might have done a quick round of her mum and aunties asking for info on baby feeding that she could then quote as 'fact'. IMO the blame for these discraceful selling methods should be laid right at the door of the baby food/milk marketing departments - they know exactly what they are doing and what messages they are allowed to promote.

I remember being in Superquinn( Irish supermarket) one day and passing a Cow and Gate Stand with ds3 aged about 18 months. The rep asked me whether I would like to try the Growing Up Milk. I explained that no, ds3 was still breastfed and in any case I didn't believe in buying follow-on milk as it was simply a marketing ploy.
A few minutes later I passed the stand again and she obviously didn't remember a word I had said as she offered me the bloody Growing Up Milk again! I had clearly made a huge impact on her!

isn't baby gravy......y'know, spunk?

Oh yuk luminarphrases talk about lowering the tone of the thread!

Just had a reply from Tesco saying something like they understood why I was concerned and would look into it , but politely asking which store it was. In my enthusiasm I had forgotten this vital piece of information.

dd2 ate a whole banana yesterday; wish I had fed it to her in the trolley and pointed out her ability to the rep.

sorry just can't imagine what the hell 'baby gravy' for 4-6 month olds would be!!

hopefully tesco's will take it seriously, and cow and gate ought to be ashamed of themselves.

Milupa used to do a baby gravy years ago. Twas vile!

Is this not a bit illegal?

Here it seems to say that this is "violating Article 5.5 of the International Code which prohibits company representatives seeking direct or indirect contact with pregnant women and mothers of infants and young children. 'Young children' are defined as children up to three years of age."

Stripey - the WHO code on marketing is not law in the UK, unfortunately.

Quick update - just had this e-mail from Cow and Gate. I can only assume that Tesco are doing a "thorough" investigation (!) as I have heard nothing other than an acknowledgment. Tbh didn't expect a proper reply from either of them.

Dear Ms Lollipop (my real name obviously)

Further to my email dated the 17th March 2008, I have now been able to find out more about the in-store activity at your local Tesco store.

We have been running some promotional activity to raise parent's awareness of our Baby Balance meals range. The demonstrators are not employed by Cow & Gate but they had been fully briefed with the key messages for parents with an instruction to refer any detailed questions to our Careline team. The activity centered around a sampling stand where parents were able to look at the texture on some of our Baby Balance meals and compare them to some competitor products. The demonstrators were briefed to discuss the benefits of the Baby Balance range and to offer coupons to parents. This activity should not have made any reference to infant milks or offered weaning advice.

In light of your comments, we have contacted Tesco to ascertain the nature of the activity carried out in the Coventry store. Once I have received a response from them, I will contact you again.

I would like to thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and I would like to apologise for any upset this incident has caused to you. I hope that once I have been able to investigate this fully, you will feel reassured that Cow & Gate aim to ensure that all activity is in line with current legislation and Department of Health guidance.

Yours sincerely

Suzanne Kingsberry
Consumer Assurance Manager

interesting, not employed by cow & gate. but briefed fully

so actually, just regular women, possibly of the generation where solids at 12 weeks or earlier was the norm

hardly best placed to support the weaning around 26 weeks message?

well done for pursuing it !!

oooooohhh! I would have loved to have been one of the mums that this lady approached. I would have listened intently going 'oh, ok' andn then when she finished her piece - I would have gone into an amazing rant and torn her to bits. I would have then have gone straight to the manager of Tesco's and had this lady thrown out. I would have then written a MASSIVE complaint letter to C&G, informed baby milk action, trading standards and considered informing the local paper. .

Definately complain.

Piffle you just about made me wet myself - I live in NZ and can just imagine some lipsticked rep in a cheap trouser suit You should have set up your own stand next to her!

I was under the same impression as luminarphrases about what baby gravy was. Laughed my head off when I first saw the ad on telly

My MIL tried to give my SIL 3mo some gelato! She said that you all had Farex at 3 months and you're fine. Incidentally all 3 of her kids struggle with their weight and one is obese!

anything further happen with this?