Marketers and Lobbyists using Baby Formula Companies' Tactics are Criticized in a WHO Report

Three papers from the World Health Organization found that manufacturers of infant formula mislead consumers and use aggressive lobbying tactics to increase sales. 

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WHO papers published in The Lancet medical journal on Tuesday called for an industry crackdown on manufacturers' unsubstantiated claims about their products, such as their similarity to breast milk. The authors observed that new products are sometimes marketed as having special benefits and selling at premium prices, such as hypoallergenic or organic formulas. 

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Health professionals, caregivers, and families are targeted by pervasive social media, the formula is promoted as a positive choice, and breastfeeding legislation is lobbied against heavily by the industry. 

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Since Abbott Laboratories' recall of contaminated infant formula led to a nationwide shortage, the US infant formula supply has been scrutinized. Women were discouraged from breastfeeding their children in the 1970s, according to the WHO, denying them essential health benefits. Concerns about the industry's outreach have also been raised in developing countries. The Lancet series reports that this problem persists despite public health efforts to promote breastfeeding.

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According to Linda Richter, a developmental psychologist at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, the formula milk industry uses poor science to claim their products are a solution to common developmental and health challenges for infants. A statement by Richter, who helped write the reports, claimed that the technique violates WHO guidelines for marketing breast milk substitutes.

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The marketing code

Infant formula manufacturers include Nestle SA, Abbott, Reckitt Benckiser Group, Danone, China Feihe Ltd., and Royal FrieslandCampina. Researchers from the international coalition of researchers found no evidence of unethical marketing or lobbying by any of the companies. Over 100 countries have violated the WHO's code of marketing practices since 1981, according to the reports, which reviewed 153 studies.

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There is a willingness on Nestle's part to encourage the implementation of the WHO codes into legislation. As Danone does, the Swiss company does not promote formula for infants under six months because it fully complies with the code. There are some countries in which Nestle, Danone, and Reckitt do not promote formula for infants under the age of 12 months. FrieslandCampina stated that it complies with national legislation implementing the code, while Reckitt said it complies with local laws and regulations.

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Scientific evidence shows that breastfeeding provides superior energy and nutrients while reducing infections and chronic diseases in later life, despite commercial formula consumption being normalized in the reports. The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for infants under 6 months, but fewer than half of infants follow this recommendation. Rather than having women work after delivery when infants need breast milk most, the agency suggested greater support for breastfeeding with paid maternity leave.

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“The influence of corporate power on prescription practices needs to be acknowledged in the health sector,” said Guddi Singh, a pediatrician and health campaigner. 

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Despite its decades-long existence, WHO's marketing code has failed to curb sales of formula. According to the international agency, only 32 countries have legislation that substantially aligns with the code. Multinational manufacturers continue to market substitutes in other countries.