Campaign to protect mothers and babies from the effects of formula advertising

Information not advertising

The NCT supports and campaigns for all parents regardless of how they choose to feed their babies.

The NCT fully supports and respects all parents on their choice of feeding their baby - whether they breastfeed, bottle feed or both.

We campaign for a full and effective ban on the advertising of bottle milk formula because advertising is not information. Advertising tries to persuade you to buy something. Information tries to inform you about something. Parents have a right to make decisions on how they feed their baby based on impartial and accurate information from health professionals, not based on advertising and promotional messages from commercial interests.

We believe that parents need reliable information on all the different methods of baby feeding - this information should be clear, accurate and based on research evidence, so that parents have the opportunity to make informed decisions.

Formula Promotion - Taking Action

New Regulations on Infant Formula and Follow on Formula came into force in the UK in January. The Regulations cover the composition, labelling and marketing of formula milk and follow on milks, including soya milks for babies.

The NCT are keen to see full implementation of the WHO Code and subsequent Resolutions

The current law does not do this. We are continuing to lobby to strengthen the Regulations and, to ensure our lobby is as strong as possible, need to collect examples of where the law is being broken. Breaches of the law related to information and educational materials, advertising, promotion, and marketing can now be reported to us.

Some examples of what is and is not a violation of the Regulations can be found below.

To report violations on the advertising, promotion and marketing of infant formula and follow-on formula, please click here

Violation Reporting

The Law in the UK

It is illegal in the UK to advertise formula for babies under six months old.

The current law is meant to protect parents’ right to receive objective and accurate information on baby feeding.

Some formula milk manufacturers are still taking advantage of loopholes in the law in order to promote both infant and follow on formula products. To end this practice, we are calling for a complete advertising ban to close these legal loopholes and protect children and their parents.

The UK Government recently introduced tighter regulations on the marketing of formula milks which set out stricter controls on the promotion, labelling and composition of infant and follow-on formula.

Advertising which makes direct comparisons between formula milk and breastmilk and adverts which blur the distinction between infant and follow-on formula are prohibited.

Following a court case, labelling requirements introduced by the new regulations will not come in to force until 31 December 2009.

The NCT continues to campaign for the full implementation of the WHO code on the marketing of breastmilk substitites and we work to ensure that the promotion, composition and labelling of formula comply with the new regulations.

Why is this advertising ban important?

Since the advertising ban was introduced in 1995, companies' promotional activities have increased and become more aggressive to enable them to wriggle through loopholes in the law. More advertising makes it harder than ever for parents to make an informed choice on feeding.

The UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe. The promotion of artificial breastfeeding undermines breastfeeding as the healthiest way of feeding a baby, and leaves parents who do formula feed confused about the differences between different formula milk products, their ingredients, preparation and storage.

Protecting breastfeeding and making formula feeding as safe as possible is essential for protecting the health of mothers and babies.

Get Active

• Join NCT Active, the NCT's activists' network to keep up to date on the campaign and find out how you can support us.
• Be vigilant and report violations - report any violations of the current law to your trading standards officer, our own violation reporting form, and on the Baby Feeding Law Group website.
• Join the Nestlé Boycott - the NCT supports the Nestlé boycott. Now in it’s 30th year the boycott was started to highlight Nestlé’s aggressive marketing of baby foods in breach of international standards. The boycott aims to increase the pressure on Nestlé to accept the four-point plan put to it for saving infant lives and ultimately ending the boycott and expect other countries to mark the week in future years. Visit the Baby Milk Action website for more information.