Science & Technology, Australia (Commonwealth Union) – Baby milk formula, also known as infant formula, is a specialized food designed for infants who are not breastfed or who are partially breastfed. It is a type of substitute for breast milk that is manufactured to provide nutrients needed for a baby’s growth and development. Infant formula generally has a combination of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals that are essential for a baby’s development.
A global team of researchers that include experts from The Australian National University (ANU) and Deakin University have indicated that baby milk formula corporations are exploiting parents’ emotions and influencing scientific information and policymakers to bring about sales at the cost of the health and rights of families, women, and children.
From a special 3 paper series appearing in The Lancet, the researchers argue that under half of infants across the world are being breastfed as recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, while milk formula sales have been increasing.
The researchers indicated that roughly a 3rd across Australia have been breastfed according to recommendations made.
The 2023 Lancet Series on Breastfeeding recommends the active furthering of breastfeeding, paving the way for mums, families and health professionals to have the knowledge when deciding on infant feeding that are guided by accurate information minus the influence from the industry.
The authors have called for the prompt adoption of a worldwide legal treaty to enhance the regulation of the formula marketing tactics while guarding the health and wellbeing of mothers as well as their infants.
Lead author Dr Phil Baker, from the Deakin University, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), pointed out that Australia is 1 of just a few nations across the globe that has failed to carry out the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, (published in 1981) into national law.
Dr Baker indicated that instead, a voluntary code of conduct, so-called ‘self-regulation’ is present in Australia, which is supposed to halt this marketing, but is not occurring.
“We also reveal how the Australian and New Zealand governments lobbied against other governments to weaken their efforts to regulate formula marketing. This goes completely against their supposed commitments to supporting women to breastfeed,” he said.
Dr Baker further indicatedthat it was also evident that the milk formula industry has consistently, and certain times aggressively, swayed against the regulation of formula marketing across a lot of nations.
Researchers indicated that the tactics applied to influence compliant governments, including the Australian government, in preventing industry regulation are alike the lobbying and advertising methods applied by the discredited tobacco industry.
“Milk formula companies are using an arsenal of sophisticated tactics to sell their products, including taking advantage of parents’ worries about their child’s health and development,” explained Associate Professor Julie Smith, from the ANU College of Health and Medicine.
“The formula industry uses misleading information to suggest, with little evidence to support the science, that their products are solutions to common infant health and developmental challenges.”
Associate Professor Smith further indicated that advertising was not accurate where it concluded that specialized formulas lessen fussiness, assist with colic, prolong night-time sleep and could lead to superior intelligence.
She further indicated that on top of halting manipulative marketing methods, governments and workplaces need to recognize the value of breastfeeding and care, while working to further give backing to women who wish to breastfeed, consisting of extending the period of paid maternity leave to align with the 6 month WHO recommended period for exclusive breastfeeding.
The report is likely to be of interest for mothers and health care providers across the globe, even in countries that have met the WHO recommendations, as more parents are increasingly concerned around the health and safety of their babies in recent times.
