Nestl and baby milk

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Nestlé and baby milk

• Based on information from
• Baby Milk Action
• Baby Milk Action is the UK member of the
• International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN)
• Consisting of over 200 groups in more than 100
  countries.

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Who is Nestlé?
Font GMI September 2005
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But.Nestlé has a darker side
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Why does this matter?
Some 1.5 million children still die every year
because they are inappropriately fed WHO
2001 "Marketing practices that undermine
breastfeeding are potentially hazardous wherever
they are pursued in the developing world, WHO
estimates that some 1.5 million children die each
year because they are not adequately breastfed.
These facts are not in dispute." UNICEF
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1.5 million real lives
"Use my picture if it will help," said this
mother at the Childrens Hosptial, Islamabad,
Pakistan. Photo UNICEF. A baby dies every 30
seconds from unsafe bottle feeding The babies
are twins the child with the bottle is a girl -
she died the day after this photograph was taken
- but her brother was breastfed and thrived. The
mother was told that she wouldnt have enough
milk for both children, and so breastfed her son
while the grandmother bottle-fed her daughter.
But she would almost certainly have been able to
feed both babies, since the more a baby suckles,
the more milk is produced.
UNICEF, Islamabad Childrens Hospital, Pakistan.
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The International Code

• The aim of the International Code of Marketing
  of Breastmilk Substitutes is to
• contribute to the provision of safe and
  adequate nutrition for infants, by the protection
  and promotion of breast-feeding and by ensuring
  the proper use of breastmilk substitutes, when
  these are necessary, on the basis of adequate
  information and through appropriate marketing and
  distribution.

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The Code

• The code includes the following rules for
  companies like Nestlé
• Baby food companies may not
• promote their products in hospitals, shops or to
  the general public
• give free samples to mothers or free or
  subsidised supplies to hospitals or maternity
  wards
• give gifts to health workers or mothers
• promote their products to health workers any
  information provided by companies must contain
  only scientific and factual matters
• promote foods or drinks for babies
• give misleading information

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And.

• There should be no contact between baby milk
  company sales personnel and mothers.
• Labels must be in a language understood by the
  mother and must include a clear health warning.
• Baby pictures may not be shown on baby milk
  labels.
• The labels must not include language which
  idealises the use of the product.

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Nestlé breaks the rules of The Code
Monitoring results from 69 countries 2,000 rule
brakes Over 700 pictures Nestlé is responsible
for more rule breaks than any other company!!
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Nestlé inappropriately promotes baby milk in
poor countries!

• Nestlé breaks the rules in its marketing. In
  areas that have a poor water supply and mothers
  do not have funds to buy the products, this can
  be very harmful.

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Advertising
Growing moments, Nestle moments- Indonesia
Raising an intelligent child is no longer a
dream use Nan
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Gifts to mothers
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Promotion to the medical profession
When closed, leaflet seems to promote
breastfeeding
When opened, a different story unfolds!
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Promotional gifts in health facilities
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In the health care system
UAE2004 diary
Indonesia Hospital sign boardt
Thailandproduct promotion at conferences
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Dangerous whole milk promotion!

• Nido whole milk is displayed next to the more
  expensive infant formula in the baby food section
  of pharmacies and supermarkets.
• This is dangerous for babies as whole milk is not
  suitable for them.

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Targeting mothers
"The only contact that I would say with the
mother is through the label." Beverley
Mirando,Senior Policy Advisor, Nestlé. Debate
at Nottingham University.
South Africa
Singapore
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How do you know who is telling the truth?

• This Baby Milk Action advertisement was
  challenged before the UKs Advertising Authority.
• Baby Milk Action won the case! What was said
  was found to be truthful!
• Nestle on the other hand lost the case when
  their anti-boycott advert was challenged by Baby
  Milk Action!

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What Nestlé need to do to stop the Campaign

• Nestlé must state in writing that it accepts that
  the International Code and the subsequent,
  relevant World Health Assembly Resolutions are
  minimum requirements for every country.
• Basically Agree to the rules
• Nestlé must acknowledge in writing that it needs
  to change its policy and practice to bring them
  into line with the International Code and
  Resolutions in every country (i.e. end its
  strategy of denial and deception).
• Basically Say it will stop breaking the rules

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And then.

• 3. Once Nestlé has made its commitment to change
  clear, Baby Milk Action will take the statements
  to the International Nestlé Boycott Committee
  (INBC) and suggest that we meet with Nestlé to
  discuss its timetable for making the changes.
• Basically Explain when it will stop breaking the
  rules
• 4. If IBFAN monitoring finds no violations from
  Nestlé for 18 months, the boycott will be called
  off.
• Basically If Nestlé doesnt break the rules the
  boycott will stop!
• Nestlé has rejected this plan!
• It will not do this!

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What can you do?
You have the power to stop buying Nescafé (and
other Nestlé products) until Nestlé abides by the
World Health Assembly marketing requirements for
baby foods!
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Learn more on the website

www.babymilkaction.org www.myspace.com/babymilkact
ion