National Childbirth Trust, Save The Children, UNICEF Form Coalition To Urge U.K. To Ban Infant Formula Advertising

The National Childbirth Trust, Save the Children and UNICEF have formed a coalition to urge the United Kingdom to ban advertising for infant formula, Manchester reports (Manchester, 8/7). Companies are allowed to advertise formula for infants older than six months, but the U.K. Food Standards Agency is reviewing the policy on formula advertising (BBC News, 8/6).

The coalition in a report published Tuesday said that formula companies' advertising tactics are undermining parents who want to breast-feed, as well as confusing parents who are unsure whether to breast-feed or formula-feed their infants (Manchester, 8/7).

According to the coalition, companies are using formula advertisements for infants ages six months to two years to promote formula for younger infants by using the same name and logo on packaging, making the different formulas "virtually indistinguishable" to parents.

According to BBC News, about 76% of mothers in the United Kingdom begin breast-feeding when their infants are born, up from 7% in 2000. However, fewer than half of new mothers are breast-feeding when infants are age six weeks, and about 25% of mothers are breast-feeding when their infants are age six months. It is recommended that infants are breast-fed until they are six months old, BBC News reports.

The coalition is urging FSA to issue a ban, noting that new European Union recommendations say that information on infant formula "should not counter the promotion of breast-feeding." It is uncertain whether FSA will agree to the ban; however, some groups believe that under new restrictions, formula companies will not be permitted to claim that formula is similar to breastmilk.

Reaction
Ellie Lee, a researcher at the University of Kent who has examined the impact of formula advertising on women's decisions whether to breast-feed, said the advertising is "negligible," adding that the decision was a "pragmatic" one "based on personal circumstances." Belinda Phipps, executive director of NCT, said that formula companies "are finding ways to exploit ambiguity in the law and to continue aggressively marketing their products to parents" (BBC News, 8/6). Phipps added, "We need to close the loopholes, strengthen the law and protect both mothers that plan to breast-feed and those that formula-feed from this commercial tug-of-war for their money" (Manchester, 8/7).


The coalition's report is available online.

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