I've written here before about our Hard Sell Formula pamphlet which exposes how the baby food industry in the UK targets mothers - even before they are mothers - with idealizing promotion about infant formula. It is now available as a printed report and is starting to generate.
You can find it in our on-line Virtual Shop, where you can also download the electronic version free of charge. All sales help to cover the cost of this work. It is National Breastfeeding Awarness Week next week. Why not send a copy to people who should know: health workers, your Member of Parliament, journalists on your local paper. See:
http://www.babymilkaction.org/shop/publications01.html#hardsell
Companies start before the child is even born, encouraging mothers to sign up to company carelines and visit company websites for information on infant care. They try to co-opt health workers to promote products to mothers. They make claims that are not substantiated by scientific research. They bombard mothers with promotion suggesting formula is the same or almost the same as breastfeeding. According to the Department of Health, 34% of mothers now believe this 'myth' (to use the Department of Health's word).
Our monitoring and campaigning with our partners has prompted a crackdown on illegal health claims in the UK. While we can take some comfort from this action, 12 years after the law was introduced, companies continue to make some illegal claims, as I have been documenting here.
So don't let them get away with it. Take a look at the Hard Sell Formula pamphlet - and ideally buy a pack. The printed version features the new Wyeth/SMA formula promotion. See:
http://boycottnestle.blogspot.com/2007/04/sma-plans-new-close-to-breastmilk.html
I'll tell you tomorrow about action you can take to support strengthening of the UK law to bring it into line with World Health Assembly marketing requirements.
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