INFACT Canada: Fed up with Formula Promotion

INFACT Canada sent out two updates this week- both about infant formula promotion.

Are you fed up with formula promotions?

Let the Minister of Health know that you want Health Canada to support mothers to breastfeed without commercial intervention.

Let the Minister of Health know that formula promotions threaten mother and infant/child health.

Let the Minister know that you want all formula promotions to stop; that formula promotions mislead and falsely claim to have attributes similar to breastmilk; that formula promotions undermine breastfeeding and are purposely targeted at pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

Let the Minister of Health know that when Canada endorses the World Health Organization’s International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and all the World Health Assembly resolutions on infant and young child nutrition, we expect these protective measures to be implemented in Canada. Canadian mothers, babies and families deserve supportive environments to enable all mothers to nourish their children optimally.

Let the Minister know that breastfeeding is normal and should be the fundamental principle for all policies relating to maternal and child health.

Let her know that Canada’s breastfeeding rates remain far from optimal; that the exclusive breastfeeding rate for the first six months is just over 16% (Canadian Perinatal Health Report, 2008). How is it that 84% of mothers fall short of Health Canada’s recommendations for infant feeding?

Let the Minister know that mother’s health and children’s growth, development and health are far more important that the profit interests of the infant formula companies. Formula industries should be held accountable, financially and morally, for the increased deaths, illness and chronic diseases linked to formula feeding.

Let the Minister know that the costs of the increased hospitalizations, the increased need for medical interventions, the increased costs of the cancers, diabetes, obesity, and the cardiovascular diseases are in the billions annually when children are not breastfed.

Let her know that you want her to STOP ALL FORMULA PROMOTIONS!

Write To:

Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health: Aglukkaq.L@parl.gc.ca.

CC To:

• Your local Member of Parliament
• Leader of the opposition, Michael Ignatieff: Ignatieff.M@parl.gc.ca.
• Leader of the NDP, Jack Layton: Layton.J@parl.gc.ca.
• Leader of the BQ, Gilles Duceppe: Duceppe.G@parl.gc.ca.
• Leader of the Green Party, Elizabeth May: leader@greenparty.ca.

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EU opposes misleading and deceptive health claims for infant formula and baby foods

INFACT Canada congratulates our partner group the UK-based Baby Milk Action and is pleased to have been able to support its work to inform and lobby the European Parliamentarians to oppose the misleading claims made by the infant formula/baby food industries.

From Baby Milk Action
http://info.babymilkaction.org/pressrelease/pressrelease16mar11

European Parliamentarians oppose bogus baby food health claim

March 16, 2011 - Brussels

Members of the European Parliament have moved to block a baby food company from using a health claim on labels of follow-on formula.

The European Parliament’s committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee (ENVI) today voted to stop the claim that DHA, a long-chain fatty acid found in breastmilk, when added to follow-on formulas and baby foods improves babies’ vision. A Resolution will now go to the full Plenary in Strasbourg in April and if it is passed there, the claim will not be allowed in EU countries from 2012, or on exports from the EU. Baby Milk Action is lodging an official complaint about misinformation put out by the European Commission in trying to influence the votes of MEPs.

This is first time since the 2006 European Health and Nutrition Claims Regulations came into effect that MEPS have used their right to block a claim and the news was greeted with huge relief by thousands of health professionals and public health campaigners both in the EU and globally who have been fighting to protect parents rights to truly independent information about infant feeding.

Socialist MEP Glenis Willmott, Co-Chair of the Health Working Group, who led the MEPs veto said: “The European Parliament delegated the power to make decisions about infant feeding to the Commission and a specialist committee, which meets behind closed doors. However MEPs have an important role to play in scrutinising these decisions as this claim shows. Independent studies say there is no proven link between artificially added DHA and eyesight, and some studies have found possible negative effects of DHA supplementation. As the scientific evidence is still inconclusive, we cannot allow parents to be misled. Babies’ health is too important to be left in the hands of a multinational company’s marketing department.”

. . . .

Read the full article online at:
http://info.babymilkaction.org/pressrelease/pressrelease16mar11

Elisabeth Sterken
Director INFACT Canada
esterken@infactcanada.ca

IKEA and Nestle

Well I must say that I'm seriously disappointed.  Yesterday our family went to IKEA and while we were there we hit their restaurant for a bite to eat.  I went through the line and there it was in the drinks cooler:  Nestle Pure Life Water. My heart thudded to my feet and my love of IKEA wavered almost to the breaking point.  Nestle water.  And that was the only choice. Almost.  We drank tap water instead, and I told the restaurant manager exactly why.

What is the most disappointing thing about this is that IKEA well publicizes their Social Initiatives.

IKEA Social Initiative

IKEA Social Initiative sides with the many children

IKEA believes that home is the most important place in the world, and children are the most important people in the world.

That’s why IKEA Social Initiative wants to make a difference for millions of children in need around the world by reducing malnutrition and infant disease, and by dramatically improving literacy.

IKEA Social Initiative works together with partners such as UNICEF and Save the Children. We support projects that benefit an estimated 100 million children!

Together we create a better everyday life for the many children.

Download the IKEA Social Initiative Brochure!

Background

In the mid 1990s, IKEA and many other companies became acutely aware of wide-spread child labour in South Asia. This was the starting point for IKEA’s fight against child labour in the supply chain. As a first step, IKEA worked with Save the Children to help formulate a child labour code of conduct, "The IKEA Way on Preventing Child Labour," which clearly states that all actions taken shall be in the best interests of the child. With that in mind, IKEA knew it was not enough to simply monitor compliance at IKEA suppliers but wanted to extend its commitment to the communities beyond the factory gates.

The approach

The IKEA Social Initiative is focused on children's right to a healthy and secure childhood with access to quality education. Our main partners are the two leading global organisations for children's rights, UNICEF and Save the Children.

IKEA Social Initiative shares common values with its partners and those values begin with children. The IKEA Social Initiative invests in a range of programmes with a holistic approach to create a substantial and lasting change in the lives of children and women; improving their health, enabling access to a quality education for children, and empowering women to create a better future for themselves and their communities.

We are in this for the long haul with substantial and long-term investments in children, believing that we must work for the many children, and the needs of the children who are most in need must be addressed.

The IKEA Social Initiative believes that many small steps yield big results and takes its lead from IKEA’s core values in striving to invest in simple, cost effective and meaningful approaches.

IKEA Social Initiative has chosen to concentrate its long-term commitments on South Asia, and especially India, where the needs of children and women are great, and where IKEA has long business experience"

HERE to view the original web page 

Besides their so called "Social Initiatives", IKEA also proclaims that enforces a strict code of conduct on themselves and their suppiers . Claiming that IKEA:

"works proactively to prevent corruption and illegal activities and disassociates itself from corruption in any form, whether direct or indirect. We have a corruption policy, Rules of Prevention of Corruption, and an investigation policy that clearly states what co-workers should do if they suspect corruption, fraud or other illegal behaviour. Our position is clarified in a vendor letter which must be signed by our suppliers and an IKEA representative. 

 Well it would seem that IKEA's idea of corruption and safe working conditions,including the prevention of child labour, isnt' the same as mine.
 
How can a company, like IKEA, that proclaims that they side with the children and are opposed to child slavery in developing nations allow a black listed company like Nestle- the most Boycotted company in the world!- to market their water to families and children in their stores?!  I can not fathom their reasoning, nor how they can consciously create this sort of marketing tie between themselves and Nestle, and yet still expect us to believe that their social initiatives are real and not just some marketing scam.... like the types of scams and spin doctoring utilized by Nestle to try to convince the world that they "care"!!!!

I think that another letter writing campaign is in order- one geared towards getting IKEA to remove Nestle from their shelves. Starting with deluging IKEA with emails about their choice of bed mates by choosing Nestle as their water supplier.  |Unfortunately I was unable to get an email address, but here is the link to the "contact us" page on the IKEA website:

http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_CA/customer_service/contact_us/info.html

If you write to IKEA, be sure to forward a copy of your email to:
Canada: INFACT Canada  www.infactcanada.ca
USA: IBFAN  www.ibfan.org
UK: Baby Milk Action  www.babymilkaction.org

For more information on the Nestle Boycott please visit these links:

http://www.infactcanada.ca/Nestle_Boycott.htm
http://www.babymilkaction.org/pages/boycott.html
http://www.ibfan.org/fact-nestle.html

Baby Milk Action News Update

Email update : 16 July 2010

• New t-shirts for summer
• Nestlé responds to email campaign
• United Reformed Church Assembly backs the Nestlé boycott

New t-shirts for summer

Our popular breastfeeding fridge magnet t-shirt is now available in apricot. And our baby at the breast t-shirt is now available in Kiwi. Fruity!

View and order at:
http://www.babymilkaction.org/shop/tshirts.html

Nestlé responds to email campaign

Have you emailed Nestlé about its latest baby milk marketing strategy? Nestlé is claiming its breastmilk substitutes 'protect' babies and are 'The new "Gold Standard" in infant nutrition'.
Let us know if you have had a response from Nestlé. At the moment it is refusing to stop pushing its baby milk in this way and is ignoring the marketing standards adopted by the World Health Assembly.
As we say, Nestlé puts its own profits before infant health and the rights of mothers. We need to increase the pressure.
For our analysis of Nestlé's response and a suggested reply see:
http://info.babymilkaction.org/cem/cemjul10

United Reformed Church Assembly backs the Nestlé boycott

The United Reformed Church Assembly restated its support for the Nestlé boycott on 4 July.
Many thanks to everyone who supported the boycott. We look forward to continuing to work with URC in encouraging Nestlé to make the changes set out in our four-point plan for ending the boycott.
For our press release see:
http://info.babymilkaction.org/pressrelease/
pressrelease04jul10

Politics of Breastfeeding- Web chat today!

Email update : 22 June 2010

HAPPENING TODAY AT 14:30 UK TIME: Gabrielle Palmer web chat on the Politics of Breastfeeding. See:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/
2010/jun/18/live-chat-breastfeeding

• Breastfeeding Week campaign update
• Solidarity message from Brazilian National Breastfeeding Conference
• United Reformed Church Assembly presents opportunity to pressure Nestlé to change

Breastfeeding Week campaign update

It is UK Breastfeeding Awareness Week (21 - 27 June). In our press release we are asking people to support our Email Nestlé in June campaign, calling on it to stop claiming its formula 'protects' babies. Here's an update on the campaign.

http://info.babymilkaction.org/pressrelease/
pressrelease16jun10
Nestlé is still defending its strategy of promoting its breastmilk substitutes with the claim these 'protect' babies and other health claims.
Nestlé refuses to stop this violation of the World Health Assembly marketing standards - so if you have already emailed Nestle yourself, please help us to promote our email campaign by going to this page:
http://info.babymilkaction.org/cem/cemjune10
In its latest statement, Nestle is telling people: "the World Health Assembly does not formulate marketing standards – rather it makes health policy recommendations to Member States."
A strange claim as the Assembly adopted the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes in 1981 and in May 2010 again called upon “Infant food manufacturers and distributors to comply fully with their responsibilities under the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent, relevant World Health Assembly resolutions.”
Nestlé's not listening to the Assembly, as it puts its own profits first. Our experience shows that if enough people raise a fuss, it will back down. This is now being reported in the mainstream media today, which increases the pressure on Nestlé (links from our press release above).

Brazilian Breastfeeding Conference sends message of solidarity

We have posted a message from the Brazilian National Breastfeeding Conference that took place earlier this month.
See:
http://info.babymilkaction.org/pressrelease
/pressrelease21jun10
Brazil has introduced progressively stronger regulations implementing the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent, relevant Resolutions of the World Health Assembly. Hence, Nestlé's 'protect' logos do not appear in Brazil, but have been launched in 120 other countries. In Brazil median breastfeeding duration has increased from less than 3 months at the start of the 1980s to ten months today.

United Reformed Church Assembly 2010 presents opportunity to expose Nestlé

We have just learned that the forthcoming URC Assembly is due to discuss its boycott on investing in Nestlé on 4 July and possibly its promotion of the boycott of Nestlé products.
If you are a member of the Church, please take a look at our campaign blog for information on how this can be used as an opportunity to expose how Nestlé is pushing baby milk with its 'protect' strategy and other violations of the World Health Assembly marketing standards.
See:
http://info.babymilkaction.org/news/
campaignblog210610

Update: Nestles "Creating Shared Value Forum"

A quick update on the Nestle "Creating Shared Value Forum" that I posted about earlier this week
LIVE: Nestle Forum - put your questions in NOW‏!!!

According to Mike Brady of Baby Milk Action, not a single question regarding the marketing of Nestles infant formulas was answered.

Send a message to Nestle and spread the word

All postings regarding Nestlé's marketing of baby milk were censored at the company's Creating Shared Value Forum yesterday, so with the management refusing to engage with the public, we need to increase the number of messages going to Nestlé. Baby Milk Action is making this easier with new features on this website. You will find you can now easily share links to pages of interest with your friends. Try it out on our new film clip about Nestlé's strategy of promoting baby milk with the claim that it 'protects' babies, even though it knows babies fed on baby milk are more likely to become sick than breastfed babies and, in conditions of poverty, more likely to die. The page includes a form for sending a message to Nestlé calling for it to stop this practice. See: http://info.babymilkaction.org/news/campaignblog260510
When you've sent your message, why not pass on the link using the 'share this link' feature on the left, or the link at the bottom of the page, where you can add a personalised message. You can also share the page on Facebook.

HERE to read the entire article at Baby Milk Action

So please share this information far and wide.  Send Nestle- and the media- a message that we will not be ignored, nor will we go away!!

LIVE: Nestle Forum - put your questions in NOW‏!!!

I just received this email from Mike Brady of Baby Milk Action in Britian and am passing along to all my fellow Nestle Boycotters.  Not a Nestle Boycotter? Do you want to know more about the Nestle Boycott?

Baby Milk Action
INFACT Canada
Ibfan
Boycott Nestle

LIVE: Nestle Forum - put your questions in NOW‏!!!

Nestle is hosting a Forum in London today 27 May - broadcast on the internet - about its Creating Shared Value strategy. Nestle portrays itself as a model of ethical behaviour, driven by its values. Yet the claims it makes and reports it produces are very misleading. 

Choose your way of putting questions about Nestle's pushing of baby milk and other issues to Nestlé and panellists. See the links at the bottom for sources of information about ongoing Nestlé malpractice, which shows Nestlé Creating Shared Value strategy is meaningless PR intended to divert criticism so it can carry on boosting profits while others count the cost.

How to put your questions - choose your method

Watch Nestle Forum webcast live and post comments:
http://clients.world-television.com/nestle/CSV_2010/

Post comments to Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23csv2010

Post comments to Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/Nestle?v=wall&story_fbid=122651214433034

Post comments to Nestle Forum discussion board:
http://www.creatingsharedvalue.org/Forum.aspx

Concerns about Nestlé

Watch Mr. Henry Nastie, spoof marketing guru, explain the truth about Nestlé baby milk marketing at:
http://info.babymilkaction.org/news/campaignblog260510

Nestlé's misleading Creating Shared Value reports exposed:
http://www.babymilkaction.org/press/press17june09.html

Best wishes,

Mike Brady
---
Mike Brady 
Campaigns and Networking Coordinator 
Baby Milk Action 

http://www.babymilkaction.org/ 

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