The WHO 152nd Executive Board 30th Jan – 7th February 2023, WHO HQ. Geneva 2023 is not a reporting year on Maternal Infant and Young Child Feeding, but we will be making some statements to raise awareness of IBFAN’s over-arching…
New IBFAN Briefing: Breastfeeding and the immune system
IBFAN Immune system IBFAN briefing. January 2023 IBFAN Immune system IBFAN briefing. January 2023 Breastfeeding and the immune system Whenever someone reports a problem with breastmilk and/or breastfeeding, the question being raised is: are there situations where it is safer to avoid…
the 2023 Lancet Series on Breastfeeding – including the influence of marketing
Join the launch of the 2023 Lancet Breastfeeding Series onWednesday 08 February from 12h30-14h00 UK time(13h30-15h00 CET) Virtually through the link below, or Attend in person at the Royal Society of Medicine, London (limited tickets available – available…
New online safeguarding laws in Ireland to cover baby formulas and foods.
FANTASTIC NEWS: “…Provision made for the purpose referred to in subsection (2)(d)(ii) may prohibit or restrict, in accordance with law, the inclusion in programmes of commercial communications relating to foods or beverages considered by the Commission to be the subject…
Beyond football – Pelé’s humanitarian dimension and support for breastfeeding
As we all mourn the loss of Pelé, regarded by many as the world’s greatest football player ever, CLICK HERE for a piece from Kul Gautam, a former Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, explaining…
Why are Conflict of interest safeguards missing from the WHO Zero draft of the WHO Pandemic Treaty?
Deliberations of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body on the Zero draft of the WHO Pandemic Treaty 5-7th December. WHO WEBSITE and WEBCAST IBFAN and public health Civil Society partners and some Member States are worried that the Zero Draft fails to contain adequate…
Codex: RUTF Guidelines adopted but no Zilpaterol conclusion
Top: QU Dongyu, Director-General of FAO, far left, opens the CAC45. The UK’s Steve Wearne, centre, in the Chair for the first time. Below: Member states watch the screen for the controversial vote on Zilpaterol, the drug used to promote…
Codex principle on Science
There was discussion on this document which is STILL in draft and not agreed. The issue of Consensus is a thorny issue for Codex. https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/procedural-manual/sections/appendix/appendix1/en/ Statements of Principle Concerning the Role of Science in the Codex Decision-Making Process and the…
Should animals be pumped with growth drugs to increase growth and global trade?
Should animals be pumped with growth drugs – just to increase global trade? Codex Alimentarius Commission 21-25 November 2022 Rome, Italy Web streaming link:HERE IBFAN Zilpaterol statement PDF While the rest of the world is, at last, waking up to…
Digital Marketing undermines breastfeeding in Mexico
Following on from WHO’s recent report on the impact of Digital marketing, a new study from mexico provides some new evidence Digital marketing of formula and baby food negatively influences breast feeding and complementary feeding: a cross-sectional study and video…
IBFAN defends Mexico’s warning label against food industry attacks
IBFAN defends Mexico’s warning label against food industry attacks IBFAN to Supreme Court Mexico SPANISH IBFAN to Mexican Supreme Court ENGLISH Subject: Review of the appeal of unconstitutionality 358/2022 The ultra-processed products and sugary drinks industry is seeking, through injunctions,…
IBFAN Q&A on the Abbott Powdered Milk Formula Scandal
IBFAN Q&A on the ABBOTT scandal Meanwhile, ISDI (the body that represents national and international associations active in this food sector from more than 20 countries on over 6 continents) boasts about the safety of the products of its many…
COP27 – Can lessons be learned and the UPF trade controlled?
COP27 – Can lessons be learned and the UPF trade controlled? Extinction Rebellion mass ‘nurse-in’ . Westminster, London October 2019 Photo: Helena Smith IBFAN Cop 27 ENG IBFAN COP27 ES COP27 – IBFAN FR As world leaders meet in Sharm El-Sheikh,…
Weak global trading standards and the climate crisis – why Codex must step up
Weak global trading standards and the climate crisis – why Codex must step up Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC45) 21-25th November 2022 – in Rome and on line. Click here for the Codex agenda and papers and PAGE DOWN for comments.…
Infant and young child feeding in the first three days after a nuclear power plant accident .
Please download the new guidance here. IFE Core Group recently published this new guidance note on Infant and young child feeding in the first three days after a nuclear power plant accident . You can also see the guidance document…
WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety – why does it fail to protect babies?
WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety – why does it fail to protect babies? PDF of the letter on Food Safety Oct 2022 Dr Francesco Branca Director Nutrition and Food Safety World Health Organization Avenue Appia 20 1211 Geneva 27…
Berlin World Health Forum – how corporations frame health as a ‘choice’
Berlin World Health Forum – how corporations frame health as a ‘choice’ The 14th World Health Summit is taking place in Berlin from 16-18 October with around 5,000 participants and speakers, including a large range of corporations and their front groups with…
Vandana Shiva on Bill Gates
Vandana Shiva interviewed about Bill Gates Vandana is always worth listening to. https://twitter.com/ronin19217435/status/1580660491751665664?s=20&t=PJpMMfNtIdZrAK6arVQHew ____________________________
Ensuring safeguards on READY TO USE THERAPEUTIC FOODS (RUTF)
Ensuring safeguards on READY TO USE THERAPEUTIC FOODS (RUTF) Next steps at Codex Alimentarius Commission, 45th Session Rome, Italy, FAO HQ, 21 will be – 25 November (physical) and 12-13 December 2022 (virtual). As we witness the appalling news of…
Pakistan Floods: IBFAN supports Ministry of Health’s call to protect breastfeeding
Breastfeeding International Emergency Response with IBFAN Pakistan Report IBFAN PAKISTAN – PRESS RELEASE June 2022, The worst .floods in Pakistan‘s history put a third of the country under water and killed 1,717 people. The monsoon rains, melting glaciers and severe heat wave…
CODEX FOLLOW-UP FORMULA STANDARD MUST HAVE STRONG SAFEGUARDS
Photo: IDEC, Brazil: Products for babies 6-36 months at the centre of the Code trade debate. These unnecessary, sweetened, flavoured, ultra-processed milk drinks for young children are cross-promoted with infant formula for newborn babies. IDEC sues Nestlé, Mead Johnson and…
WHO on World Breastfeeding Week: Foods for infants and young children: a matter of concern?
https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/03-08-2022-foods-for-infants-and-young-children–a-matter-of-concern Foods for infants and young children: a matter of concern? 3 August 2022 News release World Breastfeeding Week, held on 1–7 August each year, sparks discussions across the WHO European Region around the growing international concern about infant…
IBFAN Codex Press Releases and comments
Weak global trading standards and the climate crisis – why Codex must step up https://www.babymilkaction.org/archives/35279 Ensuring Strong safeguards on Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods. https://www.babymilkaction.org/archives/34951 Codex standards must have strong safeguards August 2022 Should Business NGOs sit on country delegations? …
Global trading standards must follow WHO in restricting harmful marketing
Global trading standards must follow WHO in restricting harmful marketing 75th World Health Assembly, Geneva, 22-28th May, 2022 IBFAN, the global network that has helped governments stop harmful marketing of baby feeding products for the last 40 years, attended…
World Food Safety Day – who should be held accountable for the 9 US baby deaths?
World Food Safety Day: who should be held accountable for the 9 US baby deaths? IBFAN Statement 7th June 2022 Above: The baby formula shortage is prompting calls to increase support for breastfeeding, NPR May 30, 2022. “Parents are…
Cross promotion: Idec sues Nestlé, Mead Johnson and Danone for the ‘Game of 7 mistakes’
STOP PRESS: “Press release IDEC wins over Nestlé, 4 July2022 Court orders Nestlé to clearly signal the difference between infant formulas and growing-up milks IDEC filed a lawsuit against the company for cross-promotion that causes confusion for consumers It…
4 new WHO reports expose marketing by the $55 billion formula milk industry
Dr Tedros explains why the predatory marketing baby feeding products can harm children and announces the new WHO reports on predatory marketing. WHO UNICEF multi-country report – How marketing of formula milk influences our decisions on infant feeding WHO report…
IBFAN at the 75th World Health Assembly 22-28th May 2022
Some interesting articles published around this time which might explain the struggle we had getting Codex on the agenda: (here is our press release: Global trading standards must follow WHO in restricting harmful marketing Industry Lobbying on WHO Overshadowing Public…
Governments must control their unethical corporations
Governments should control their unethical corporations In June 1992, following the adoption of the first EU Directive on marketing of breastmilk substitutes (infant formula and follow-up formula) in the internal market, the EU adopted an Export Directive (requiring labels in…
NEW: WHO UNICEF IBFAN -National implementation of the Code Status report 2022
Marketing of breastmilk substitutes: national implementation of the international code, status report 2022 WHO UNICEF IBFAN https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/354221 This report provides updated information on the status of implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (BMS) and subsequent relevant…
NEW Joint Statement on Ukraine crisis – protecting mothers and children
Link to Baby Milk Action Blog. Infant feeding in emergencies – links to blogs IYCF_Joint-Statement-V2-06052022-EN IYCE Hub for more information Joint Statement Protecting Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices in the Ukraine Conflict and Refugee Crisis Version 2: May 2022…
NEW WHO report on the scope and impact of digital marketing for the promotion of breast-milk substitutes
NEW WHO report on the scope and impact of digital marketing for the promotion of breast-milk substitutes click here for the report Following on from the 8-country report (Marketing the $55 billion formula milk industry – How marketing influences our decisions…
Why formula donations can be a risk – examples from Ukraine and Myanmar
Formula distribution in Myanmar: Here is a Facebook page shows free distribution of Nature One formula (follow-up) in Myanmar. The actress Khine Hnin Wai who runs a charity orphanage (who also appears to be the brand ambassador), says in the video that…
Update on Nestlé, Ukraine and WHO Foundation
Update on Nestlé, Ukraine and WHO Foundation Full List of Companies That Have Stayed in Russia – And The Ones That Decided to Leave [Updated Weekly] https://www.websiteplanet.com/blog/companies-boycotting-russia/ While we watch with horror yet another human catastrophy in Ukraine, we urge…
WHO Model law for the European Region
ENDING INAPPROPRIATE MARKETING OF BREAST-MILK SUBSTITUTES AND FOODS FOR INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN PDF The WHO European Region: protecting the most vulnerable Coinciding with the launch of the new WHO–UNICEF global report: “How marketing of formula milk influences our decisions…
Infant feeding in emergencies – links to blogs
Links to blogs and publications on infant feeding in emergencies (not specific to Ukraine). Why infants have special needs Babies have specific nutritional needs and are born with an undeveloped immune system. For infants who are breastfed, breastmilk provides both…
FDA Warns Consumers about Abbott’s Powdered Infant Formula – shortage in USA
The US Government endorsement of artificial feeding has been and continues to be a huge financial benefit to the US formula industries. The US policy has left citizens without Code regulation, baby friendly support and mandatory maternity leave for decades.…
39K people call for immediate halt to an unethical formula study in Uganda and Guinea-Bissau
. HELP STOP UNETHICAL FORMULA RESEARCH ON BABIES PLEASE remember to sign and share this petition that 39,000 have signed so far, with numerous comments posted to the journal website. STOP PRESS: Questioning the ethics of international research on…
IBFAN warns about corporate influence at WHO Executive Board Meeting
IBFAN statements for the WHO Executive Board Meetings – 24-29th January 2022 See earlier Policy Blog for the Background to the EB Discussion. All the presentations from IBFAN, Civil Society, Member States and WHO can be seen on the WEBCAST…
Protected: Agenda Item 17 Maternal Infant and Young Child Health.
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Baby Food marketing on WHO’s agenda – will the Civil Society voice be stifled?
Baby food marketing on WHO’s agenda – will the Civil Society voice be stifled? WEBCAST of the EB IBFAN STATEMENTS Members of the EB The 150th session of WHO’s Executive Board (EB) 24-29th January. For the first time…
Farewell to Peter Greaves – a remarkable and much valued friend – and now Gerson da Cunha
Gerson da Cunha A few weeks after Peter died – on 7th January – we got the news that one of Peter’s friends, Gerson da Cunha had died. Gerson was an Indian/Goan high level communicator, who worked for UNICEF…
Two wonderful people we lost this year. Hussein Tarimo and Radha Holla Bhar
Thanks to WABA for the photos and some of the text on this page Hussein Hassan Tattue Tarimo IBFAN and the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) are truly sad to announce the passing away of our dear friend…
Academics express concern over conflicts of interest in South Africa
On Board with Nestlé? Academics express concern over conflicts of interest Maverick Citizen: Academic independence https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-11-23-on-board-with-nestle-academics-express-concern-over-conflicts-of-interest/ (Photo: logos-world.net/Wikipedia) By Mark Heywood Follow 23 Nov 2021 1 Academics across the world have been expressing growing concern over what they describe as ‘corporate…
Undue corporate influence at Codex
Danone and Croplife in evidence at Codex 2021 Concern about unhealthy UN partnerships: Codex is a joint United Nations body created in 1963 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to develop food standards,…
Baby food industry lobbies to weaken Codex standards on sweetness and flavouring
Baby food industry lobbies to weaken Codex standards on sweetness and flavouring Unhealthy UN partnerships: The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) are the parent bodies of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. In 2021 FAO adopted…
Codex Commission (CAC44) meeting unable to reach Consensus on growth hormone
CODEX COMMISSION (CAC 44) November and December 2021 Interventions made by IBFAN and ENCA: Agenda Item 8 – (Matters arising from FAO and WHO) Thanks WHO for its work on COVID and breastfeeding and its celebration of the 40th Anniversary of…
IBFAN concerns about vulnerable groups and food safety
IBFAN to Dr. Branca Final 27.10.21 Agenda Item 8.3 Codex Alimentarius Commission November 2021 IBFAN Food Safety Statement 2020 Dr Francesco Branca Director Nutrition and Food Safety World Health Organization Avenue Appia 20 1211 Geneva 27 Switzerland 27th September 2021…
COP26:The baby food industry’s needless destruction of an irreplaceable natural resource – a form of ecocide?
FINAL COP STATEMENT French translation The baby food industry’s destruction of an irreplaceable natural resource IBFAN Statement 5th Nov 2021 The International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes [i] was adopted forty years ago by the World Health Assembly, the…
A Fatal Engagement – article by Arun Gupta
https://drarungupta.blogspot.com/2021/10/a-fatal-engagement.html (Child Health, Nutrition and its Governance, Public Policy and Politics) A Fatal Engagement Development of India’s food policy is dominated by the food industry and makers of chemical nutrients through their front groups or advisers-thus undermining the health of…