Baby Milk Action CEM Index

According to UNICEF: "Improved breastfeeding practices and reduction of artificial feeding could save an estimated 1.5 million children a year." Yet baby food companies continue to market artificial foods in ways that undermine breastfeeding. The people responsible have names and addresses - call on them to market products ethically.

Join Baby Milk Action to support the campaign and receive the Update newsletter.

Nestlé is found to be the worst of the companies, so is also targeted by an international boycott. For background and action, see the Nestlé-Free Zone.

Please report instances of unethical marketing of baby foods in your area. Take action to make a difference. Also see the international monitoring report Breaking the Rules, Stretching the Rules 2007, later reports from the International Code Documentation Centre and some examples from Europe presented at the World Health Assembly in May 2006.

We are finding it very difficult to keep up with demand for targeting violations due to staffing shortages. Can you help to keep the campaign going by becoming a member or sending a donation via our on-line Virtual Shop?

Campaign for Ethical Marketing action sheets

Action Sheet

Report title

Country

October 2009

UK Formula Regulations whitewash - call on the Government to conduct a proper review

UK

July 2009

Company responses

Nestlé bosses misleading mothers

Danone's Milupa Aptamil follow-on formula not 'the best' concludes watchdog

Mead Johnson - the best start in life?

Global, Malawi, Philippines

Global, UK

Global, US

April 2008

Company responses

Help South Africa to stop Nestlé and others pushing formula

Will UK companies stop breaking the law?

South Africa

UK

March 2008

Company responses

Nestlé: systematic violations and broken promises.

Danone/NUMICO and the Code.

Global

February 2008

Support the call for the UK Government's weak formula regulations to be reviewed and strengthened.

UK

November 2007

Send a message of solidarity to the UK Government

UK

June 2007

Company responses

Wyeth offensive in the Philippines.

Nestlé defends targeting mothers with infant formula leaflets in Bangladesh

Philippines

Bangladesh

April 2007

Dairy industry attempts to weaken Brazil's baby milk law

Brazil

November 2006

Company responses

Help the Philippines stand up to company bullying - petition

Tell baby food companies not to oppose the Philippines government's moves to protect infants

Philippines

September 2006

Company responses

Gerber (Novartis) pushing bottles and fails to act on '6 months' requirements

Nestlé and the Indian law on sponsorship

Global

India

May 2006

Company responses

Nestlé targets mothers in Slovakia and breaks '6 month' promise.

Support members of the UK Parliament in standing up to the European Union

Slovakia

UK

December 2005

Nestlé CEO launches blatant violation in China

UK government to abandon mothers to baby food companies?

China

UK

May 2005

Nestlé auditors find violations - but then clear Nestlé

UK retailers in breach of the law

Hipp - unethical promotion

Africa

UK

Central and Eastern Europe

December 2004

Help to bring in big changes across the European Union

Nutricia uses free CD to push formula in China

Time for Nestlé to face the truth

EU

China

Global

June 2004

Companies exposed in new monitoring report

Nestlé still the worst of the baby food companies

Please help to save Brazil's baby food marketing law

Global

Global - example from Dominican Republic

Brazil

February 2004

Baby food industry offensive against South African law

Nutricia promotion in China planned for March

South Africa

China

November 2003

Nestlé’s idealising leaflets in Egypt and Vietnam

Please help health campaigners in Pakistan

Nestlé promises to put stickers on violating products in Bulgaria

Egypt and Vietnam

Pakistan

Bulgaria

June 2003

Nestlé pushes infant formula in Botswana with outrageous claims

Nestlé promises on ‘6 months’ do not stand up

Will Nestlé's competitors move on '6 months'?

Botswana

Global - examples from Bulgaria, Hong Kong and India

Global

January - March 2003

Take action to stop new baby food advertising offensive

British Medical Journal study blasts marketing violations

Nestlé won't stop promoting whole milks in baby food sections.

Global

Togo and Burkina Faso

Brazil, Argentina and others

April - June 2002

Will Nestlé’s new ‘ombudsman’ stop Nestlé’s marketing malpractice?

Inappropriate promotion of Nestlé whole milks as baby food

Global

Brazil, Argentina and others

February/March 2002

Companies exposed for violating Vietnam’s regulations

Marketing war using “new improved” formulas threatens breastfeeding

Vietnam

USA - for now

Action Sheet	Report title	Country	Ref.
November 2001 Campaign letter UK Government response	Take action to protect infant health at Codex	Global	-
September/October 2001 Violations Company responses	Wyeth's aggressive promotion in South Africa Nestlé launches infant formula promotion campaign in southern Africa, violating Resolution on HIV.	South Africa southern Africa	01/12 01/11
June/August 2001 Violations Company responses	Wyeth - Breaking the Rules 2001 How Nestlé uses the 'breast is best' notice to endorse its breastmilk substitutes	Global Global	01/10 01/09
April/May 2001 Violations Company responses	UK election special Nestlé plays word games with Cameroon violation Will companies now please change their labels!! (featuring Abbott, Danone, Dumex, Friesland, Heinz, Hipp, Nestlé, NUMICO (Nutricia, Milupa, Cow&Gate))	UK Cameroon Global	- 01/08 01/07

Note: Responses to earlier action sheets are grouped together in the Tip of the Iceberg reports

Action Sheet

Report title

Country

Ref.

February/March 2001

Indonesia stands up to industry pressure

NestlŽ rejects four-point plan aimed at saving infant lives and ultimately ending the boycott

NUMICO admits to "aggressive marketing" in UK pharmacies

Indonesia

Global

UK

01/06

01/05

01/04

December 2000/January 2001

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

Singapore Ethics Committee says Nestlé baby club not allowed

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

UK

Singapore

Pakistan

01/03

01/02

01/01

October/November 2000

SMA brings on the clowns in the UK

Nestlé continues to target pregnant women in Singapore

Updates on past violations

UK

Singapore

00/19

00/18

Nestlé advertising in India

Nestlé begs not to be named and shamed in Brazil

Nestlé dismisses violation report from Botswanan Government

India

Brazil

Botswana

00/17

00/16

00/15

July/August 2000

Nestlé offensive in Singapore

Wyeth (SMA) distributes free samples in UK magazine

Nestlé advertises infant formula in Bulgaria

Singapore

UK

Bulgaria

00/14

00/13

00/12

Action Sheet

Violations highlighted

Country

Ref.

More evidence of malpractice in Pakistan as administration moves ahead with new law

Abbott, Wyeth, Numico, Meiji and Morinaga implicated by Nestlé audit

More on the EU hearings

Pakistan

Pakistan

European Union

00/11

00/10

-

Nestlé formula promotion through gift to Brazilian paediatricians

Nestlé fined for breaking Costa Rica baby milk marketing law

Abbott uses cereal range to promote infant formula in the Middle East

Brazil

Costa Rica

Middle East

00/09

00/08

00/07

Nestlé Chief to blame for labelling fiasco in Malawi

Hipp promotion in Latvia

Nestlé bribes doctors in Pakistan - new law is vital

Malawi

Latvia

Pakistan

00/06

00/05

00/04

Labelling violations in Zimbabwe

UNICEF critical of Nestlé book - Nestlé begins to apologise (Nestlé's "monitoring" report exposed - No. 5)

Nestlé Chief's misleading claims about Malawi labels

Zimbabwe

Focus on Oman

Malawi

00/03

00/02

00/01

January 2000

December 1999

Staff occupied preparing and posting Don't Judge a Book by its Cover - the truth behind Nestlé's book "Nestlé implementation of the WHO Code."

November 1999

Cow&Gate boasts about its direct marketing in the UK

Nestlé misrepresents Danish letter (Nestlé's monitoring report exposed - No. 4)

Nestlé Finland breaks the Code (Nestlé's "monitoring" report exposed - No.3)

UK

Denmark

Finland

99/23

99/22

99/21

October 1999

Nestlé distributes free samples of a banned product in Hungary (Nestlé's "monitoring" report exposed - No.2)

Nestlé direct marketing to mothers in the Philippines receives award (Nestlé's "monitoring" report exposed - No. 1)

Hungary

Philippines

99/20

99/19

September 1999

Abbott Similac advertised on television in Israel

Danone response on Gabon untrue?

Nestlé prepares £2 million assault on UK baby food market

Israel

Gabon

UK

99/18

99/17

99/16

August 1999

Nestlé denies Gabon evidence

Hipp goes on the offensive against Georgia's law

Numico's direct marketing in the UK

Gabon

Georgia

UK

99/15

99/14

99/13

July 1999

Hipp's irresponsible marketing of teas and juices endangers health

Nestlé and free supplies of infant formula in Argentina

Numico gifts to healthworkers in Hungary

CIS, CEE, Baltics and Balkans

Argentina

Hungary

99/12

99/11

99/10

Action Sheet

Violations highlighted

Country

Ref.

June 1999

Nestlé Executives show contempt for ASA and shareholders

South African Department of Health calls on Nestlé to end violations - Nestlé's PR booklet exposed, No. 5

Nestlé in Turkmenistan

UK
Switzerland

South Africa

Turkmenistan

-

99/09

99/08

May 1999

Nestlé Cerelac promotion in Saudi Arabia, Samoa and India

Francexpa infant formula advertised in Palestine

Baby food industry to be investigated by the European Parliament

Saudi Arabia
Samoa
India

Palestine

Europe

99/07

99/06

-

April 1999

Peru needs your help

Danone in Gabon

Nestlé in Gabon

Peru

Gabon

Gabon

99/05

99/04

99/03

March 1999

No action sheet - staff occupied with submitting comments to the ASA regarding Nestlé's appeal

-

-

February 1999

Nestlé says that infant formula advertising 'benefits consumers'

Nestlé's PR Booklet Exposed - No. 4: 'instructions' not implemented

USA

Ukraine

99/02

99/01

January 1999

Nestlé warned about ethical claims

UK

n/a

December 1998

SMA advertises "Ready-To-Use" milks in the UK

Abbott Ross promotion of Isomil in Brazil

Nestlé breaks its promises in the Ukraine

UK

Brazil

Ukraine

98/35

98/34

98/33

November 1998

The UK Government and the Convention on the Rights of the Child

Bottled water fiasco raises questions over Nestlé management

Pakistan needs your support!

UK

Belgium

Pakistan

98/32

98/31

-

October 1998

Nestlé's PR booklet exposed - No. 3: violations in Bolivia

Wyeth still ignoring labelling requirements in Malawi

Abbott Ross launches offensive in Brazil

Bolivia

Malawi

Brazil

98/30

98/29

98/28

September 1998

Numico in Palestine

IBFAN's long memory catches out Kruger

Nestlé's PR booklet exposed - No. 2: Violations in Brazil

Palestine

Oman

Brazil

98/27

98/26

98/25

August 1998

Nestlé targets Croatia

Abbott Ross and self-regulation in the United States

Nestlé's latest PR booklet exposed - No. 1: Violations in Colombia

Croatia

United States

Colombia

98/24

98/23

98/22

July 1998

Nestlé pushes teas and juices for babies in Germany

Nutricia (Numico) violating the International Code in the CIS

Hipp unapologetic over infant tea labelling in Armenia

Nestlé violations continue in Armenia

Germany

Russia and other CIS countries

Armenia

Armenia

98/21

98/20

98/19

98/18

Action Sheet

Violations highlighted

Country

Ref.

June 1998

Nestlé denies evidence in the Philippines

Mead Johnson promises to reduce crying in the UK

Nestlé piles on the pressure in Pakistan

Philippines

UK

Pakistan

98/17

98/16

98/15

May 1998

Dumex uncovered

Nestlé lobbies the Government of Uruguay

Wyeth - scary isn't it?

Nestlé and self-regulation in the USA

Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam

Uruguay

USA

USA

98/14

98/13

98/12

98/11

April 1998

Nestlé empty promise? (October 1997 violation continues)

Nestlé threatens "to pull out investment in Zimbabwe"

Mead Johnson in Russia

Russia

Zimbabwe

Russia

98/10

98/09

98/08

March 1998

Nestlé in South Africa

What Nestlé is trying to hide in the Philippines

South Africa

Philippines

98/07

98/06

February 1998

Nestlé attempts to weaken Sri Lanka's revised law

A tangled web in West Africa (international consultant acting for US Foods & Pharmaceuticals has solicited requests for free supplies of infant formula)

Sri Lanka

Ghana and region

98/05

98/04

January 1998

Wyeth (SMA) promotes genetically engineered soya to mothers

Wyeth (SMA) attempts to take over from health professionals

Nestlé attempts to weaken Pakistan's proposed law

UK

UK

Pakistan

98/03

98/02

98/01

December 1997

Nestlé Cerelac makes baby a star

Nutricia sends free supplies into Kazakhstan

Wyeth's "new improved" marketing strategy reaches Kenya

Middle East Region

Kazakhstan

Kenya

97/21

97/20

97/19

November 1997

Hipp threatens UK agreement

Inappropriate language from Wyeth, Nutricia, Mead Johnson, Abbott-Ross

Nestlé arrives in Armenia - new market - old methods

UK

Kenya

Armenia

97/18

97/17

97/16

October 1997

Hipp teas take the biscuit

Nutricia (Cow&Gate) promotes bottle feeding

Nestlé latest marketing strategy - water

Armenia

UK

Global/Russia

97/15

97/14

97/13

September 1997

Mead Johnson promotes to parents

Nestlé attempts to silence critics in the Philippines

Nestlé flouts Gabon's requirements

UK

Philippines

Gabon

97/12

97/11

97/10

August 1997

Play spot the difference with Nestlé

SMA Nutrition offers 'prizes' to midwives

Nestlé's Bona sows the seeds of doubt

Watch out Russia - Nestlé is coming

Bangladesh

UK

Russia

Russia

97/09

97/08

97/07

97/06

July 1997

Nutricia (Milupa) bear-faced cheek in the UK

Nestlé in Thailand

Inappropriate language in Malawi from Nestlé

Inappropriate language in Malawi from Wyeth

Nestlé advertisement for Nan 2 in Singapore

UK

Thailand

Malawi

Malawi

Singapore

97/05

97/04

97/03

97/02

97/01

Nestlé is not the only company which violates the International Code. To find out why Nestlé is the target of an international boycott, read the Boycott News newsletters or visit our boycott page.