The Reasons Behind Formula Advert Bans

(Newswire.net — December 23, 2017) Cheyenne, Wyoming — Infant formula has its place, no doubt about that. Many mothers simply aren’t able to produce breast milk for a myriad of reasons and may not have easy access to a donor bank which supplies breast milk to infants in need. However, the mercenary marketing of formula as an equivalent substitute for breast milk is not acceptable. 

In Brazil, authorities have banned the promotion of formula right across the board. Print and broadcast media cannot advertise any such products. The stance is strict but necessary that Latin American nation feels that the promotion of breastfeeding is fully backed by the state. Given the success achieved with over 50% of the women in Brazil choosing to breastfeed, other countries have been gradually taking a similar approach. 

“The Royal Australasian College of Physicians is calling on the Federal Government to enforce new World Health Organization recommendations that ban on advertising of infant formula be extended to “follow-up formula” and “growing-up milks” for toddlers,” reports The Courier-Mail. 

The synthetic nature of such products can never be on par with the quality of breast milk, cow’s milk and dairy derived foods, as nature is far too superior. Other than not being the best for your baby when in its purest form, formula can also be contaminated. There are so many concerns with formula starting with the possible improper sterilization of bottle equipment, inadvertent use of unsafe water or worse, contamination during packaging at the factory. 

“The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) has issued a decision to withdraw the (Lactalis Craon Factory) French-made Infant Milk products from United Arab Emirates (UAE) markets due to Salmonella contamination,” states Khaleej Times. “The decision is based on the findings of a technical report following the warning issued by the French Directorate General of Health (DGS) regarding the contamination of the infant milk, which had been exported to 30 countries including the UAE. The company Lactalis proceeded to the withdrawal and recall of its products after the contamination of twenty babies under 6 months with salmonella.” 

It’s for these very reasons why Pakistan and numerous other countries have taken the precautious to ban the marketing of formula within their boundaries. Educating new mothers on the benefits of breastfeeding and the strong emotional bond experienced is a much better investment. Promoting breastfeeding over formula also serves an economical agenda since it costs nothing but health and time to nurse. 

“The Department of Health has been urging Thai mothers to breastfeed their infants as per the World Health Organization’s 1-6-2 code recommendation; to breastfeed a newborn within one hour of birth, to solely breastfeed the baby until six months old, and to breastfeed the baby along with other food until two years old or more”, says Wachira Pengchan, Thailand Health Department Chief. 

These recommendations outline the ideal breastfeeding circumstances but of course life happens and some moms may not be able to follow through up to age two while others will continue nursing beyond that point. The most important point is to care for one’s health in order to produce enough milk to meet a child’s need. Being mindful of what one consumes is the first step, so when it comes to alcohol, it is key to consider when, where and how much to drink in advance. Planning ahead and testing how much alcohol is detectable in your milk supply is crucial for the baby’s safety so the PureMilk™ test kit by HealthyWiser™ is an ideal tool as it provides results with 99.9% accuracy.