Demonstration at Nestlé UK Headquarters 19th May 2001 A demonstration took place at Nestlé (UK) HQ in Croydon on Saturday 19th May. This annual event raises awareness of Nestlé's unethical and irresponsible marketing of baby foods. This year the demonstration coincided with the 20th Anniversary of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. (All photos Baby Milk Action) Nestlé continues to market it's products in ways which violate the marketing code adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1981, despite the fact that UNICEF has said reversing the decline in breastfeeding could save the lives of 1.5 million infants around the world every year. Breaking the Rules 2001 a report published last week by the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), shows Nestlé to still be the worst violator of the International Code and subsequent relevant World Health Assembly resolutions. Campaigners gathered at Nestlé's UK headquarters where they laid out 20 child sized coffins in front of the Nestlé building. Each coffin was to represent 1.5 million children who have died each year since the WHO Code was introduced, because they were not breastfed, and to highlight Nestlé's contribution to this by its undermining of attempts to reverse the decline in breastfeeding. A group of children presented Nestlé with over 8,000 petitions calling on the company to change it's marketing practices and abide by the WHO Code and resolutions. Jonathan Dorsett, Campaigns Officer at Baby Milk Action said "It is appalling that 20 years after the world's highest health policy setting body adopted this code to protect infant health, Nestlé should still be ignoring these policies in the interest of it's own profits". Jonathan went on to say, "Nestlé will not accept that the WHO International Code and resolutions apply to all countries where it operates and continues to undermine breastfeeding, contributing to the unnecessary deaths of babies around the world." For further information contact Baby Milk Action.