Patti Rundall, IBFAN Global Advocacy,

European Commission Platform for Diet, Physical Activity and Health,

Brussels, 9th March 2017

WHO Guidance: Ending inappropriate marketing of foods for infants and

young children –

its relevance for the EU

Jean Giraudoux (1882-1944)

“The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you’ve got it made”

All EU Member States endorse the

International Code

• Although not legally binding, the International Code is the expression of the collective will of the membership of the WHA – the world’s highest health policy setting body.

• All Member States – not just developing countries must implement the International Code as a ‘minimum requirement’ ‘in its entirety.’

Resolutions keep pace with marketing

Independent monitoring

• They protect all children - those who are breastfed and those who are not – from unsafe products and misleading marketing.

• They are not just for developing countries but are minimum requirements for ALL countries.

• Women have no obligation to breastfeed – they are fully sovereign over their own bodies.

• The duty bearers of the human rights obligations related to breastfeeding are STATES

•

Why the International Code and resolutions are important:

Important: self regulation..

• works only as long as companies want it to.

• Doesn’t reduce the extent and impact of marketing -the volume can increase.

• undermines governments’ resolve to legislate. 1

1 Taken from a presentation at the European Platform for Action on Diet and Physical Activity by Corinna Hawkes,

the International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington. Feb 2007

For analyses of the weaknesses of voluntary approaches: http://info.babymilkaction.org/node/466

http://info.babymilkaction.org/sites/info.babymilkaction.org/files/P1PHNhawkespledges.pdf

• Recommendations:

1. promote home-prepared locally available foods

2. clearly ban promotion of all Breastmilk Substitutes (BMS) - ie formulas 0-36 months

3. 6 months labelling of baby foods

4. no cross-promotion with BMS

5. Conflicts of Interest - ban sponsorship, gifts etc

6. Discourage unsuitable obesogenic foods.

WHO Guidance: ending inappropriate promotion of foods for infants and young children

• Undermines breastfeeding – both before and after 6 months

• Increases risk of childhood obesity or other risk factors (eg cancer, diabetes…)

• Reinforces sweet/salty taste preferences

• Increasingly marketing targets pregnant women

• Baffles with ‘bogus’ science

• Implies that normal foods lack essential nutrients

• Builds ‘trust’ in processed foods – promoted as the healthy option

Baby food marketing prevalent in the EU:

Products throughout the life cycle -

snacking

Promotion in the

UK that implies

nutrients are hard

to get.

Cross branding – brand stretching

(EFSA, 2014) stated that, whilst there are phospholipids naturally present in breastmilk: “there is no convincing evidence for a beneficial effect of using LCPUFA supplied as phospholipids in infant formula.”

Scientific and Factual?

Poor information for health professionals

17 claims on one baby food

Claims on 70-80% of formula milks and baby foods

No claims were made for eggs. Prevalence of Nutrition and Health-Related Claims on Pre-Packaged Foods: A Five-Country Study in Europe Sophie Hieke 1, *, Nera Kuljanic 1 , Igor Pravst 2,3 , Krista Miklavec 2 , Asha Kaur 4 ,Kerry A. Brown 5 , Bernadette M. Egan 5 , Katja Pfeifer 6 , Azucena Gracia 7 and Mike Rayner 4Nutrients 2016, 8, 137; doi:10.3390/nu8030137

• www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients

• http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/3/137/pdf

Parents disproportionately targeted with claims

Focus on single nutrients rather than food

Stare at a banana all day and you will not see the nutrients it contains.

A quick glance at a package laden with health and nutrition claims

immediately inspires confidence.

Global impact of EU

The EU is a key player in setting Codex Standards - benchmarks in trade disputes.

Codex is riddled with COI Typically: 40% are food industry, 59 as Business Interest NGOs (BINGOS).

Food industry sponsors of the 19th Session of the

FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa 2011.

misleading claims in Botswana

Key messages

• States have a legal duty to protect child rights to health and create an enabling environment (counselling (free from commercial influence, maternity protection, marketing controls etc

• Avoid over-emphasis on individual nutrients – children need food

• The setting of Health and education policies and programmes must be free from commercial influence

“….international capital at the top is mobile and is running circles around governments....”

Jeffrey Sachs quoting a CEO and talking about The Price of

Civilisation BBC Radio 4 Today :