Expert:inside denounces baby food marketing as exploitative
Health experts are calling for a tougher crackdown on the marketing practices of formula milk companies and more support for mothers breastfeeding. A legally binding contract is needed that protects women from "exploitative marketing" and prohibits companies from political lobbying, they write in the medical journal The Lancet.
The Authors, including those from Switzerland, arguethat manufacturers were exploiting the insecurity of young mothers to make money. They gave the impression that babies who do not sleep through the night or have colic would be better off with artificial baby food than with breast milk.
However, restless behavior of babies is common and such problems can be solved with the support of specialized personnel. Breastfed babies undoubtedly have the best start in life. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that babies be exclusively breastfed for six months. After that, babies should also be given other foods, but should continue to be breastfed at least until their second birthday.
Fear deliberately stoked in social media
The WHO had denounced the marketing practices of manufacturers 2022 in a report. Sometimes employees participate in groups for young mothers on social media. They stoke fears there and promote milk powder as a solution without saying that they are paid for it, it said.
The manufacturer with the largest market share worldwide, the Swiss company Nestlé, rejects such machinations. "We support the WHO recommendation to exclusively breastfeed babies for the first six months of life," the company said. (SDA)
