Save the Children's new report on marketing practices of formula-milk companies: what do you think?

[RowanMumsnet]

As some of you may have seen from press coverage over the weekend and this morning, Save the Children is today launching a report into the marketing practices of formula milk manufacturers.

The report focuses specifically on marketing in developing countries - where a lack of good sanitation and public health awareness can make formula-feeding precarious - and on the importance of colostrum to a baby's long-term health. You can read more about the campaign and see the petition here.

We've been asked to get behind this campaign - and as ever, in these situations, we need to know what you think!

Is this something MNers would like us to support? As many of you will know, we have long refused advertising from Nestle and its majority-owned subsidiaries. Save the Children's report is also critical of Danone, the second-largest formula manufacturer.

We'd be really interested to hear your views.

Please support this campaign, I wholeheartedly agree with Shagmunfreud.

Tiktok - To me that advice is lacking in the basic clear advice that in most cases it will be better for your baby to continue breastfeeding than to use this product.

This is hundred or more times the case in developing countries

That's already on the packs, because it is the law.

My suggestions were in addition to what we already have.

Cigarette style warnings? absolutely NO

Btw if you type 'impact warning labels' into scholar.google.com all kinds of interesting things come up, from across different products and countries.

Short answer: warning labels are not automatically effective. Really interesting field.

ICBINEG makes an excellent point.

Wouldn't you want to know that everything added to formula has had it's risk quantified against the standard required for drugs as opposed to food stuffs?

^^ This. Why would anyone want to answer 'no' to that?

So a tin of formula sat on your kitchen surface wouldn't look as attractive as it currently does? So what?

If a lack of pretty packaging encouraged even a few mothers to breastfeed, either in the UK or the developing world, wouldn't it be a good thing? If it made mothers who can breastfeed do so, instead of opting for a substitute, how can that possibly be a bad thing?

Def support this.

Great points made on here.

It was well over 20 years ago when i first boycotted Nestle because of this issue - rather depressing that so little has changed. Please support this campaign.

it seems that most posts are focusing more on people's own experience here in the UK than on the dreadful consequences of the immoral marketing of formula milk in developing countries.

That's possibly because we all agree that immoral marketing of formula in developing countries is wrong. There's really not much debate to be had there.

The point I have tried to make is that mothers in the developed world should be treated no differently from those in the developing world. All the worlds babies deserve the same consideration by formula manufacturers. If packaging was plain, and standard across the world, then we wouldn't have mothers being attracted to it, thinking that it was better, or as good as, breastfeeding.

Someone (sorry, can't remember who) made a good point up thread by saying that the developed world looked to the western world for inspiration of the best way to ensure the health of the children. Understandably, because we have far higher child survival rate than they do. So if people in the developed world only use formula as a last resort, then it will follow that the developing world does the same. And that would lead to better health for all babies.

"That's possibly because we all agree that immoral marketing of formula in developing countries is wrong"

Yes, I agree Clouds

But we mustn't forget to say so. And keep saying so

Also good points about the example being set by the western world. I'm sure that's hugely influential.

Bottle feeding is the biggest killer in the third world because of the lack of sterilisation facilities. Mumsnet should certainly support the campaign. The UK has just about the worst breastfeeding record in Europe too - that needs to be changed too. Many of us who work full time and have expressed breastmilk at work need to make it clear you can work full time with a very small baby and still breastfeed. That was so 30 years ago and is still so today.

Chislemum fair enough. I see formula more like a drug than a food though - something that you need rather than that you want. And so just as I don't care whether my salbutamol is Ventolin or my co-amoxiclav is augmentin (and though I know the brands I don't know the makers) I wouldn't care as long as formula was formula. I would just want to know enough to allow me to avoid anything that gave my baby a reaction.

I'm pretty uncomfortable with the idea that I should think about anybody outside my own family when it comes to choosing how to feed. I don't do it to set an example and nor should I be expected to.

Can anybody say exactly how having warnings in English on UK formula will make an impact on bf rates in the developing world?

Isn't it up to those countries to enforce their laws adequately, and ban the disgust marketing practices?

It might make mothers who chose to ff feel guilty, but it wouldn't for mothers who honestly couldn't bf.

Not in all cases - I bet there are plenty of women who can't BF who feel guilty/their body has failed them etc.

I don't think there should be a ban - there should be more support on both sides. Too much 'breast is best' and not enough 'here's how to make a bottle of formula correctly, and doing it any other way is risking your baby's life'.

Why does it only have to have an impact in the developing world?

What about the impact it could have here, in this country, on the children that your children to to school with?

Warnings in English on formula sold in the UK have the potential to decrease gastroenteritis in babies right here in this country, and these babies are just as important as those in the developing world.

Ok I just don't see the relevance of the guardian article to the debate then.

That article talks about formula marketing in Indonesia and the impact on babies there, where circumstances are very different to here.

How do the two issues tie together?

Would absolutely support MN being involved in this campaign. Very interesting links.

please support, MN.

I already boycott Nestlé and probably should begin boycotting Danone too. I've signed the petition.

support this wholeheartedly! i have had to ff both of my girls and i am ever thankful that we have clean water on tap and the facilities to properly sterilise equipment. BF is by far the better option in much of the world. However there still should be info provided on ff a for some it will be necessary. But that means being equipped with all the information - i.e. risks of not properly sterilising, cost , faff factor. Companies that make formula have to be able to make a profit or they wouldn't make it (and then we.d be using the condensed milk solution!). This does not mean they should be able to exploit large parts of the third world.

A subject close to my heart. I would be very happy for Mumsnet to support it.

I've just looked on the Daily Mail comments (couldn't find an article on the Guardian ) to see the general response to the campaign and it seems to be that everyone is seeing cigarette warnings in the UK as a judgement against ff in the UK, when it's fine in the UK and the whole point is to save lives in the developing world. The campaign seems to be completely missing the mark. Not only that it is pitting bf against ff in a judgemental way that seems to be bringing out all the arguments that were being debated on MN as overstated and lacking in quality evidence only last week (Prof Wolf's new book).
The point is that making up formula in developing countries without sanitary conditions indisputedly kills babies. Trapping people in those countries into ff when they could bf, via unethical marketing practices must stop. Pissing off UK formula feeding mums through what could be seen as scaremongering tactics when ff in the UK is safe doesn't seem the way forward.

The issues are tied together because its about marketing formula to mothers.

This campaign is good, but it doesn't go as far as its needed because if Save the Children are going to do it, they should be doing it for the benefit of all babies, and targeting all formula manufacturers.

I think it would make for a more effective campaign, because if one manufacturer started to do a good job of their marketing and labelling, then they would be seen by mothers in the western world as the best, they would get a bigger market share, and it would put pressure on other companies to follow all over the world.

Save the Children is a global organisation, so I don't see why they can't work for the benefit of babies all over the world.

Yes please, do support this Mumsnet.

Agree noblegiraffe in as far as I think we have to focus the campaign on what is happening in developing countries where there is widespread lack of access to clean water and facilities to sterilise bottles, and where subsequently many babies become sick with diarrhoea and/or malnutrition.

Am not sure about the labeling issue in the UK ? Think what matters there is mainly the effect it would have throughout the world.

I would support it 100%, it makes my blood boil, so dodgy and someone needs to stop them or at least make sure the women are presented with all the options, pros and cons.