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News

Supporting infant nutrition

By Evelyn Volders, AdvAPD

All dietitians should be aware of the staggering US$55 billion infant formula industry and how the marketing of formula milk influences our decisions on infant feeding.

The World Health Organization (WHO) report, exposes the aggressive marketing practices used by the formula milk industry, highlighting how healthcare professionals are often unwittingly used as conduits for their marketing efforts.

“In order to promote, protect and support breastfeeding, prevent obesity and noncommunicable diseases, promote healthy diets, and ensure that caregivers receive clear and accurate information on feeding, companies that market foods for infants and young children should not sponsor meetings of health professionals and scientific meetings.”

The WHO has a longstanding International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes which recognises our collective responsibility as health workers to promote and protect breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding is not merely a personal choice; it is a public health imperative with benefits to health, the environment, and the economy.

Australia has a National Breastfeeding Strategy which aims to:

  • increase the number of babies who are breastfed
  • ensure access to education, support and clinical care services 
  • increase the number of breastfeeding-friendly settings and environments  
  • strengthen regulation around the marketing of infant formula 
  • improve education and training for health professionals 
  • raise awareness of the significance of breastfeeding. 

Currently the marketing of infant formula in Australia is voluntary and has allowed manufacturers and retailers to irresponsibly market their products.

The federal government now plans to establish a mandatory code of conduct to oversee the way baby formula products are advertised in Australia.

These new regulations will aim to protect parents, carers and importantly health workers from "irresponsible" marketing tactics from baby formula manufacturers. 

A stronger regulatory framework will be a great way forward to protect and promote breastfeeding