How long will Nestlé ignore infant code?

Nestlé continues to donate free supplies of infant formula in violation of the marketing code for these products. Your report states that Nestlé “admitted giving free supplies… to Thailand until July 1988…”

Nestlé continues to donate free supplies of infant formula in violation of the marketing code for these products. Your report states that Nestlé “admitted giving free supplies… to Thailand until July 1988…”

Nestlé free supplies were found in Thailand during research conducted independently of Baby Milk Action between August and October 1996 and published as the report Cracking the Code.

UNICEF stated that this report vindicates monitoring conducted by Baby Milk Action and our partners in the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN).

IBFAN’s latest monitoring report Breaking the Rules 1998 records free supplies of Nestlé infant formula not only in Thailand, but also in Argentina, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Indonesia, Malaysia and Mexico.

If we consider free samples of infant formula for mothers the list of countries grows to include 15 of the 31 surveyed in IBFAN’s monitoring exercise. After the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruling in favour of our complaints we wrote to Nestlé to ask if it will stop repeating similar claims in publications, letters and meetings to change its marketing practices.

Nestlé responded to the ruling by appealing. It has been contesting the ASA’s recommendations since the first draft was produced in August 1997.

How much longer will the ASA allow it to continue?

Mike Brady

Campaigns and Networking Coordinator

Baby Milk Action

Cambridge