The tables below give details of some recent violations. The date when the violation was last reported to Baby Milk Action or confirmed to be current is given. The violation reference is for Baby Milk Action's records. Please quote it if forwarding correspondence to us, if possible.

• Nestlé boycotts European Parliament Public Hearing but pledges to stop giving gifts to doctors in Pakistan
• Singapore Ethics Committee says Nestlé baby club not allowed
• Can you find any scientific and factual information in this Cow & Gate advertisement?

Nestlé boycotts European Parliament Public Hearing but pledges to stop giving gifts to doctors in Pakistan

Richard Howitt MEP, who organised the Public Hearing, said Nestlé had demonstrated: "utter contempt for a properly constituted public hearing. Not to attend reveals a combination of arrogance and distance which has set their cause back."

 

The European Parliament conducted a Public Hearing into the baby food industry on 22nd November (see press release - with links to media coverage). Presentations were made by The Network for Consumer Protection in Pakistan (a partner of Baby Milk Action) and UNICEF. Nestlé was invited to present information on the monitoring system it claims to have put in place to ensure its activities comply with the International Code and Resolutions, but refused to send a representative. According to information presented at the Hearing, Nestlé objected to the presence of UNICEF's legal expert, who was there to advise on interpretation of the marketing requirements. A third presentation was made by Sunil Sinha, who had worked for Nestlé as a consultant in Pakistan in April 2000. He was not able to speak on behalf of the company or to respond to the wider issues.

Nestlé's contempt for an elected Parliament is further demonstrated by the fact that in 1999 it told its shareholders it welcomed the Hearing. While snubbing the Parliament, it sent its Chief Executive, Peter Brabeck-Letmathé, to address students at the London Business School the day after the Hearing.

A week later, the BBC World Service Outlook Programme interviewed Tracey Wagner-Rizvi of The Network for Consumer Protection in Pakistan and Niels Christiansen, Vice President of Nestlé. Evidence had been raised in the Hearing of bribes paid to doctors by Nestlé's Medical Delegates in Pakistan, a claim supported by documentary evidence provided by Syed Aamar Raza, a former employee. While attempting to dismiss this evidence, Mr. Christiansen made a dramatic announcement, stating that Nestlé would no longer give gifts of any type to doctors in Pakistan.

Baby Milk Action and our partners welcome this undertaking and will continue monitoring to see if it is implemented. However, we are concerned that Nestlé is only introducing this policy in Pakistan and not globally. We call on Nestlé to bring its activities into line with the marketing requirements in all countries.

Write to: Mr. Peter Brabeck-Letmathé, Chief Executive Officer, Nestlé S.A. 55, Av. Nestlé. CH-1800 Vevey, Switzerland (Fax: +41 21 921 1885). Suggested letter:

Singapore Ethics Committee says Nestlé baby club not allowed

Background:

On the July/August action sheet we exposed Nestlé's Baby World Club which targets pregnant women in Singapore (see right). Nestlé claimed it was doing nothing wrong despite the fact that such clubs are explicitely prohibited by the Sale of Infant Food Ethics Committee, Singapore (SIFECS). SIFECS made its position clear in a letter dated 8th January 2001, which states:

"The Code of Ethics on the Sale of Infant Formula Products in Singapore (SIFECS) was first drawn up in 1979 to protect and promote breastfeeding. The Code behoves all health professionals and the milk industry to work towards ensuring infants get their birthright - i.e. mother's milk, as long as possible.... Within the scope of the Code, the infant milk industry is not allowed to provide mothercraft services. The latter includes parentcraft services, hotlines/helplines, Baby Clubs, newsletters and talks on infant care. The infant milk industry has been advised to refer mothers requesting nutrition advice or mothercraft-like services to contact the polyclinics, hospitals, paidiatric clinics or the Breastfeeding Mothers' Support Group. For your information, a copy of the 'Code of Ethics on the Sale of Infant Formula Products in Singapore' can be downloaded from http://www.gov.sg/moh/don/."

Nestlé is an industry member of the Committee and so it cannot claim to be ignorant of this position. Yet it continues to promote its Baby World Club. Such clubs also violate Article 5.5 of the World Health Assembly International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.

Write to: Mr. Peter Brabeck-Letmathé, Chief Executive Officer, Nestlé S.A. 55, Av. Nestlé. CH-1800 Vevey, Switzerland (Fax: +41 21 921 1885). Suggested letter:

Nestlé continues to seek contact with pregnant women and the mothers of infants and young children using baby clubs. This violates Article 5.5 of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. In Singapore Nestlé promotes its Baby World Club, despite the fact that the Sale of Infant Foods Ethics Committee, Singapore (SIFECS) has advised the industry that baby clubs are not allowed. Your continued disregard for the International Code and the decision of SIFECS brings Nestlé into disrepute. I request that you order that Nestlé baby clubs should be discontinued in all countries immediately and make a public apology through your Code "Action" Reports for these flagrant violations.

Can you find any scientific and factual information in this Cow & Gate advertisement?

The International Code says that information for health workers (which covers this advertisement) "should be restricted to scientific and factual matters." Judge for yourself whether Cow & Gate (owned by NUMICO) abides by the Code. Click on the advertisement to enlarge it.

 

Write to: Mr. Klaas de Jonge, Director, Numico, Rokkeveemseweg 49, 2712 PJ Zoetermeet, Netherlands. Fax: +31 79 3539 620. Suggested Letter:

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