Why ethical marketing is important

Not so long ago, when I had my first child I had a lot of experience of formula companies. The idea's of foxytocin were common practice. On becoming pregnant I recieved an Emma's diary, which was full of formula ad's, babycare suggestions were all geared around the formula fed baby, Breastfeeding was given a nod, but the style of parenting which was normalised in all this was not compatible with breastfeeding. Getting babies to sleep through the night, 4h feeds, prams not slings etc.

I have never had any breastfeeding problems but if I had followed these parenting tips I would not have been able to breastfeed.

When I went to antenatal classes one of the 4 classes was given over to the 'lovely' SMA rep, who came to talk to us about feeding the baby, she got us all involved, we all smelt the formula and said how it reminded us of being little& memories of feeding siblings. It was left to her to tell us about breastfeeding too. We all went away knowing what we needed to buy to get ready for the baby.

I was one of only two who was still breastfeeding when we met after having our babies, so I wanted to start a group to meet other breastfeeding mothers. I met with the health visitors where they gave me a cup of tea in an SMA mug, the leaflets on the stand on how to feed your baby were mostly on bottlefeeding, the few about breastfeeding were produced by formula companies. 

When it came to weaning, the main info from the health visitor was a booklet produced by a formula company given out at 3 months. Reading through this booklet, which heavily pushed follow on formula, I was left ( A very well read trainee breastfeeding Councillor at the time!) with serious fears that my baby could become seriously deficient in iron - it laid it on that thick. My friends in the area who received the same literature felt the same.

As I got more involved I found out that the Reps would often go into local health care settings - with doughnuts to train up health workers, and I realised that the health workers were being trained by the formula manufacturers! this was why they had no confidence in breastfeeding.

I could add so much more!

As each of these ways for formula companies to market their products using the healthcare system has been stopped there has been incredible resistance - we really had to fight. Now I think it is at least acknowledged that it is not right. It is however important that we all continue to monitor the situation and to take action when these violations (of the WHO code) happen. www.who.int/nutrition/publications/code_english.pdf

I hope this explains why it is so important to keep on top of it!

After it was mentioned to me that parents at our local hospital are receiving hipp calenders through the registrar of births, I have tried to find out more... Its complicated!

Parents all over the country currently receive marketing materials which undermine breastfeeding when they register their babies birth. This information comes along with their babies birth certificate, in a folder which contains a range of leaflets - some official government ones, along with a leaflet encouraging parents to join Hipp Organics online group. through this group parents will receive free samples, coupons, expert advice etc. they also receive a leaflet for pregnacare's breastfeeding supplement for mothers. 

Some of the parents register their babies with a registrar who visits the hospital, this means that the hospitals rules about marketing materials an compliance with Unicef Baby Friendly Initiative are undermined.

These birth registration folders are provided by Lifecycle Marketing, who also produce Emma's diary.  

At the moment there is a break in the supply of the Lifecycle wallets, so now is the time to take action!


There is an alternative folder that registrars can use and this is distributed by civil ceremonies, this can be provided along with a wallets for death certificates.

So.. What Can you do?

Please check if your local Registrar uses a folder to present birth certificates which is produced by " lifecycle Marketing". If they do, Inform them that some of the leaflets contained in this folder undermine the WHO code (and Unicef baby friendly accreditation that the PCT/Hospital may be in the process of obtaining/ have obtained) and to point out that other alternatives are available. 


let me know the response by commenting below!

Bounty policy change

“As a matter of importance we want to inform you of a Bounty policy change and reaffirm our stance on breastfeeding.  Therefore, please find enclosed a press release and copy of our revised policy. To summarise:

Weaning Policy Change

Weaning foods are currently labelled in accordance with the European Union Directive, and the minimum age at which a food can be labelled is still four months. Bounty believes that this conflicts with the Department of Health’s advice for exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and for six months as the recommended age for weaning babies. 

Therefore, at its earliest opportunity (expected by end of 2009) Bounty will no longer carry any promotion of weaning foods (i.e. any food which exclusively markets itself to promote the transition between milk and a solid diet) in any of our communications to new and expectant mums.

Breastfeeding Update

Bounty is aware of its legacy misconceptions relating to formula milks which have built over five decades.   Therefore, we would like to take the opportunity to remind you of Bounty’s commitment today to supporting breastfeeding:

·         Bounty reinforces the advice that babies should be exclusively breastfed until they are at least 6 months old, in line with the Breastfeeding Friendly Initiative, Department of Health and World Health Organisation recommendations.

·         For clarity, Bounty does not advertise or sample any infant formula or follow-on milks.  Following our latest Best Practice policy change, we have extended this exclusion to ‘Toddler’ and ’12 month plus’ milk products, due to concerns about promoting formula milk by brand association.

Cultured Cream

A letter of support in yesterday's Echo
Cultured Cream
With reference to the council ice cream contract, aside from the ice cream contract being awarded to a multi-national company with a record like Nestle's, why does the council believe that the only type of ice cream that will sell from their prime locations is the variety loaded with E numbers? When we visit Cornwall and Devon it is always a pleasure to have their special dairy ie cream made locally from real dairy products. We have several local manufacturers that can provide great quality ice cream and give opportunities to local business too. Alternatively, let the kiosks to local businesses that have a real interest in providing quality products.



a Special Environment and Economy Scrutiny Panel meeting has been arranged for Wednesday 13 June 2007 at 4.00pm in the Royal Hampshire Committee Room, to consider the ‘call-in’.

Questions over ices contract (Bmth Echo)

For the evidence see:
http://boycottnestle.blogspot.com

Questions over ices contract
By Lynn Morris

CAMPAIGN: Cllr LIsa Northover, who is angry about Nestle products being sold in seafront ice cream kiosks
BOURNEMOUTH councillors are to review a contract allowing the exclusive supply of Nestle ice cream in seafront kiosks after confusion over a council motion to boycott the company.

Councillor and anti-Nestle campaigner Lisa Northover was shocked when Bournemouth council awarded a contract allowing the exclusive supply of Nestle ice cream in five seafront kiosks, contrary to a motion adopted in 1994 endorsing the boycott of Nestle products because of the company's policy of supplying free and low cost baby milk formula in contravention of the World Health Organisation's code.

Cllr Northover, 30, said: "I have been boycotting Nestle since I was about 13 because of the marketing techniques they use to push baby milk formula which are against the recommendations for formula milk marketing."

She works with Baby Milk Action, a group, which helps to co-ordinate the international campaign for a Nestle boycott.

Cllr Northover wrote to all councillors asking for the decision to be reconsidered and brought to a scrutiny committee.

She said: "I do not feel that Bournemouth should be associating itself at all with a company with such a poor record, let alone doing an exclusive deal."

She said she was shocked when she saw that the council had signed a three year contract with Hunts Food Service to supply the kiosks with just Nestle ice cream. The contract has an option for a two year extension.

Officers recommended that the leisure services department accept the Nestle products only deal because it was the most financially beneficial.

A spokesman for the council said that there was a cooling off period in the contract so the council could revoke the decision.

Cllr Michael Filer, cabinet member for economy and tourism, said: "By 1997 both the General Synod of the Church of England and the Royal College of Midwives Council had lifted their boycott of Nestle. It could be unreasonable of Bournemouth to continue the boycott some 10 years later."

He added that he was encouraging Cllr Northover to bring the issue before a scrutiny panel.

A statement from Nestle said that the company now adopts the World Health Organisation code on the marketing of breastmilk substitutes as a minimum standard in developing countries.

A report by charity Save the Children this month called on companies, including Nestle, to stop aggressively market-ing formula baby milk.

7:00pm Friday 1st June 2007

Nestle Sea-front beach catering Ice cream contract

On Friday I discovered the Conservatives have signed off an exclusive deal with Nestle for icecream on the sea front. As a director of Baby Milk Action, the NGO which co-ordinates the international Boycott Nestle Campaign, this was a shock and a disappointment.

I've now got until Friday to work out which of the 54 Councillors can sign a 'call in' and try to persuade three of them to do so.

I've also sent an email explaining my disappointment to all the Councillors. From the responses, I'm relieved I'm not the only one.

If you want to know more about why Nestle is the most boycotted brand, see:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/story/0,,2079757,00.html