Email update : 6 December 2012
Baby Milk Action wins another case in the UK against Pfizer/Wyeth over SMA advertising
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has warned Pfizer/Wyeth over breaking marketing rules following a complaint brought by Baby Milk Action.
This new ruling concerns an email headed "How is feeding going?" which was aimed at mothers with four-week-old babies and played on fears about milk intake and possible problems with breastfeeding before asking "Thinking of bottle feeding?" and promoting SMA infant formula. See
http://info.babymilkaction.org/pressrelease/
pressrelease28nov12
The ASA warned the company not to repeat the campaign and told it - in line with the law - "not to produce marketing communications for infant formula except in a scientific publication or, for the purposes of trade before the retail stage, a publication of which the intended readers were not the general public."
Nestlé announced on 1 December that it had completed its takeover of Pfizer/Wyeth - so it falls to Nestlé to stop the advertising, websites, baby clubs, email campaigns and all the other infant formula marketing communications that break the rules.
• In September, the ASA ruled against Pfizer/Wyeth for its "What's the best milk after Kate's?" advertising campaign. The ASA found the company misled the public in suggesting its formula was better than other brands of formula or breastfeeding.
Nestlé and co's US$400 million threat against the Philippines
Campaigners in the Philippines are exposing a threat levelled at the economy by Nestlé and other transnational companies.
Nestlé and its partners are pushing for a new, weak law to replace existing strong regulations. What campaigners are calling Nestlé's monster bill would allow companies to advertise milks for use from 6 months of age (with the same branding as milks for use from birth) and target mothers directly.
The Department of Trade and Industry is lobbying legislators on behalf of the industry - it wrote to Members of Congress last month warning that US$400 million of investment would be cancelled if the law did not pass and highlighted the revenue raised for the government from the sales of infant formula.
Meanwhile, the Philippines Department of Health, WHO and UNICEF said in joint statement that the draft bill: "aims to support multinational companies while damaging the Filipino society: families, the mothers and children."
Further details at:
http://info.babymilkaction.org/pressrelease/
pressrelease03dec12
Seeing through the Nestle emperor's diversionary tactics
A posting on Mike Brady's campaign blog this week looks at how the Nestlé Chairman attempts to divert attention from the company's unethical practices. See:
http://info.babymilkaction.org/news/
campaignblog031212
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