US infant formula hospital stance ‘confuses’ domestic law and WHO Code: UNICEF, PAHO By Mark Astley+ , 16-Jun-2014 The International Formula Council (IFC) “confuses” US law and the WHO Code when defending the practice of supplying free infant formula samples for hospital discharge bags, the…
UN General Assembly General Assembly: hearing on NCDs
General Assembly: Informal interactive hearing with NGOs, civil society organizations, the private sector and academia on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) Round Table 2: “Mobilizing whole of society efforts for NCD prevention and control at…
Whistleblowing: Food Safety and Fraud
Whistleblowing FSM This is an excellent article, that should be read by all policy makers reprinted from Food Safety Magazine, June/July2014 by Yasmine Motarjemi. It makes an important case for supporting, rather than harassing whistleblowers. Yasmine Motarjemi, Ph.D., holds an M.Sc. degree in food…
Decisions taken by the World Health Assembly 2014
CLICK HERE http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA67/A67_R2-en.pdf Improved decision-making by the governing bodies The Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly, Having considered the report on improved decision-making by the governing bodies, 1 1. DECIDES to introduce webcasting of future public meetings of committees A and B…
IBFAN BFLG comments on EFSA Opinion on the essential composition of infant and follow-on formulae
24 April 2014 CLICK HERE for background papers Here are the IBFANBFLG comments on EFSA IBFAN and the Baby feeding law Group have submitted comments to EFSA’s public consultation on its draft Scientific Opinion on the essential composition of infant and…
67th World Health Assembly: WHO Framework of engagement with non-State actors
Stop Press 24th May 2014: It’s been a very busy week – one very good result: Following our joint lobby with the People’s Health Movement, Third World Network and others a decision was adopted on Saturday 24th to have further…
Baby Milk Action’s new website is here
We hope you like our new website! Older documents, press releases and blog spots from our previous website are still being copied over. The new site was developed after Baby Milk Action’s members and supporters told us how they would like to…
EU Corporate Social Responsibility policy: The Commission seeks stakeholders’ views on achievements and future challenges
Period of consultation 29.04.2014 to 15.08.2014 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-491_en.htm?locale=en Press release Brussels, 29 April 2014 EU Corporate Social Responsibility policy: The Commission seeks stakeholders’ views on achievements and future challenges The Commission is seeking stakeholders’ views about the impact of its Corporate…
Nutricia India tinkers with its audit
Two important media articles in Nutraingredients about Danone’s ‘risk of non-compliance’ with the Indian IMS Act: http://www.dairyreporter.com/Manufacturers/Danone-Group-trying-to-whitewash-Nutricia-India-marketing-practices-BMA http://www.dairyreporter.com/Manufacturers/Nutricia-India-at-risk-of-non-compliance-with-IMS-Act-Danone?nocount
Opening the door to Business lobbying – what’s wrong with the new WHO policy proposals
CLICK HERE for TWN article on the outcome CLICK HERE for PDF CLICK HERE for many related stories in Update 46 26th March 2014 WHO has published a draft proposal for a Framework and set of policies to address its…
Can nutrition experts be independent if they get $25,000 per annum from Nestle?
CLICK HERE CLICK HERE for Update 46 story Times of India Rema Nagarajan, TNN | Apr 19, 2014, 10.00AM IST NEW DELHI: The question of conflict of interest among academics who serve on various boards or councils of private corporations…
European Parliament to vote on new regulations on baby food marketing
European Parliament to vote New regulations on baby food marketing The European Parliament will vote today on regulations that will cover legislation on baby foods and formulas in all EU Member States. CLICK HERE for a Background Briefing CLICK HERE…
New Study linking bottle feeding to obesity
CLICK Here for IBFAN’s Infant feeding in Obesity poster Pediatr Obes. 2013 Apr 2. doi: 10.1111/j.2047-6310.2013.00155.x. [Epub ahead of print] Socioeconomic status, infant feeding practices and early childhood obesity† Gibbs BG, Forste R. Source Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, Provo,…
Important development in EU rules on baby food marketing
I have been attending an EU Food Law meeting this week on The Revision of the PARNUTs Directive – it was attended by all the major companies. See Nutraingredient article: MEPs back the proposals Presentations from the EU Food Law Meeting Charitini…
One time chance to stop misleading information to parents: Vote in EU Parliament on 14th June
CLICK HERE FOR THE ONE PAGE BRIEFING CLICK HERE FOR MY BLOG BEFORE AND AFTER THE ENVI COMMITTEE MEETING CLICK HERE FOR THE POINT BY POINT IBFAN BRIEFING Click here for the recording of the debate that just happened. http://www.nutraingredients.com/content/view/print/646768 One time chance…
MEPs call for stricter marketing and safety controls
Thank you to everyone who supported our efforts to change the way that EU legislation is made – making it more transparent, accountable and protective of child health. MEPs in the European Parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee (ENVI) voted…
WHO Global Forum in Moscow. Tackling food-related diseases: voluntary measures or regulation – carrot or stick?
27th April, 2011 WHO Global Forum in Moscow. Tackling food-related diseases: voluntary measures or regulation – carrot or stick? Press Release PDF http://www.who.int/nmh/events/moscow_ncds_2011/conference_documents/presentations/en/index.html The World Health Organization’s global forum in Moscow on 27th April, Addressing the challenge of noncommunicable diseases, sparked concern…
European Parliament votes to block DHA health claim – but not by a large enough majority to guarantee action by the Commission
Press release 6 April 2011 Media coverage: The Telegraph (11 April 2011), The Independent (6 April), Press Association (6 April). CLICK HERE for DHA briefing Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted today in favour of a Resolution to…
European Parliamentarians oppose bogus baby food health claim
DHA briefing for MEPs DHA V13 European Parliamentarians oppose bogus baby food health claim 16 March, 2011 – 15:33 — Patti European Parliamentarians oppose bogus health claim 16th March – Brussels Members of the European Parliament have moved to block a…
How media reporting can derail health policy
Archive piece How media reporting can derail health policy 18 January, 2011 – 19:16 — Patti The debate about the value of the BMJ comment piece rages on, with misleading stories and headlines falsely implying that breastfeeding is a risk…
Nestle challenged at its AGM 2010, Lausanne, Switzerland 15th April 2010
Below is my intervention at Nestlé’s Shareholder meeting in April 2010 in Lausanne. I challenged the company about its failure to abide by marketing standards adopted by the World Health Assembly and about it health claims strategy which tells mothers…
European opinion on baby foods influenced by industry funding
Archive Press release European opinion on baby foods influenced by industry funding Press release 23 December 2009 Health advocates predict a decline in breastfeeding if a new opinion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which is at variance with…
EU Platform for Action launched today acknowledges that breastfeeding lowers the risk of obesity
EU Platform for Action launched today acknowledges that breastfeeding lowers the risk of obesity 15 March 2005 The International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) [i] has accepted an invitation from the European Commission to join the European Platform for Action…