WHA78: IBFAN calls for an end to attacks on hospitals, an end to weaponization of aid, regulation of Digital Marketing IBFAN Statement on GAZA and all children Webcast live HERE. Agenda Background Documents. Daily Journal NSA Statements IBFAN WEBSITE “In…
IBFAN STATEMENT ON GAZA
IBFAN ON GAZA Urgent Action for Gaza 16th May 2025 After more than four decades working to prevent child illness, suffering and death, IBFAN is well aware of the pain that each loss causes. In more than 160 countries our…
Baby food pouches – why they should be taken off the market
BBC Panorama reveals the shocking truth about baby pouches Highlighting important new research on their poor nutritional quality, this programme on BBC Panorama exposed the growing concerns about commercial baby food pouches. In our view, the programme could have gone…
House of Lords calls on on Government to take much stronger action
Transcript of the Debate @HLFoodObesity. Mar 27 At 10am on 28 March 2025, a debate on our report ‘Recipe for health: a plan to fix our broken food system’ is scheduled in the House of Lords. The debate is being…
Report shows UK mothers being let down
PRESS RELEASE Monday 23rd March 2025 REPORT SHOWS UK MOTHERS ARE BEING LET DOWN UK Health Professionals lack training on infant feeding Findings from the UK’s second World Breasfeeding Trends Initiative assessment What happens when a breastfeeding mother is…
See Tigers with Q&A in Deal
France passes a law to ban ‘forever chemicals’ in several products
20 Feb 2025 Today, France has passed a new law that will ban PFAS in several products including clothing and cosmetics. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of over 10,000 highly persistent synthetic chemicals often called ‘forever chemicals’, because…
UK Government authority calls for follow-up formula ad ban and generic labelling
BFLG-UK response to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) infant and follow-on formula market study: 8 April 2025 UK government authority calls for follow-up formula ad ban and generic labelling Press release 14th February 2025 Baby Milk Action/ IBFAN UK…
WHO Member States call for the regulation of Digital marketing of baby foods
Press Release Read on IBFAN’s website WHO Member States call for the regulation of Digital marketing of baby foods 10th February 2025 In the face of the budgetary and political crisis following the USA withdrawal from WHO, the 156th…
Australia news
https://www.competitiontribunal.gov.au/ The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (the ACCC) has issued a determination in respect of the application for revocation and substitution lodged by the Infant Nutrition Council on 25 March 2024. The Infant Nutrition Council sought authorisation to…
WHO EB 156: funding, governance, Digital Marketing, emergencies
156th WHO Executive Board Meeting Feb 3-11th UPDATE ON THE DIGITAL MARKETING RESOLUTION A Draft Decision Regulating the digital marketing of breast-milksubstitutes proposed by 21 Member States (Armenia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Iraq,…
Government response to Food, Diet and Obesity Committee
30 January 2025 The UK Government has responded to many strong recommendations in the House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee inquiry report, Recipe for Health: a plan to fix our broken food system. The House of Lords report…
Why WHO is important & why IBFAN is a ‘critical friend’
Why WHO is important and why IBFAN is a ‘critical friend’ The USA announced its intention to withdraw from WHO on 20th January As a ‘critical friend’ of WHO for nearly 50 years, we consider this to be worrying, not…
Tesco/Danone ends its High Street milk nurses
STOP Press STOP PRESS: Following the criticism Tesco drops its Danone sponsored scheme. Following criticism from First Steps Nutrition Trust, Baby Feeding Law Group and Baby Milk Action, the supermarket giant Tesco has abandoned its plans to roll out a scheme in…
US threats to Pull out of WHO, Nigel Farage’s new group linked to nicotine products
Financial Times: Donald Trump’s team seeks to Pull out of WHO ‘on Day One’ https://www.ft.com/content/e6061ed5-2703-4b8a-9948-a557aaaf52c2 https://www.actionwh.org/our-mission Action on World Health – Take Back Control Health policies that infringe on national sovereignty must remain under the control of nation states…
Thailand Bans Advertising for Toddler Milk
Regulation Thailand Bans Advertising for Toddler Milk by Heather Vogell Dec. 24 2024 With new rules, Thailand joins three dozen countries that have taken steps to regulate toddler milk ads. The action follows a ProPublica investigation that detailed how the…
Codex opens the door to exploitation of emergencies – Australian example
47th Codex Alimentarius Commission 25/11/2024 – 30/11/2024 | Geneva, Switzerland Here are some of IBFAN’s statements Agenda Item 5: Labelling Exemptions in Emergencies:IBFAN warned that without extra safeguards, the new Codex Guidelines would open the door to commercial exploitation. A…
Plastic Treaty fails: can Codex change and prioritise human and planetory health?
Plastic Treaty fails: can Codex change and prioritise human and planetary health? IBFAN interventions at CAC 47 – Video clips Webcasting of all sessions Documentation of CAC47. Participants Draft Report Stop Press: Sidney Morning Herald investigation into the donations and…
Codex dodges climate crisis and begins a risky emergency guideline
IBFAN interventions at CAC 47 – Video clips PHOTOS above all copyright © FAO/Roberto Sciotti Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC47) 25/11/2024 – 30/11/2024 Geneva, Switzerland WEBCAST DRAFT REPORT Participants Codex Executive Committee (CX/EXEC 87) 18 – 22 November 2024…
CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) publishes Interim Report on formula marketings
BMA CMA response Dec 2024. BFLG RESPONSE. Statement from First Steps Nutrition Trust and Baby Feeding Law Group Press release Infant formula: CMA sets out concerns and potential solutions CMA interim report outlines concerns regarding the infant formula market –…
Life long risks of sugars in baby foods and double standards prompt calls for transparency and regulation.
The harm caused by manufacturers of sweet processed baby foods is at last being exposed and prompting calls for transparency and regulation. Researchers from the University of Southern California (31.10.24) have found that cutting sugar in the first 1,000 days…
Codex dithers on sugar and opens door to risky labelling in emergencies and through technology
Codex dithers on sugar and opens door to risky labelling in emergencies. Codex Committee on Food Labelling. CCFL48 27/10/2024 – 01/11/2024 | Quebec City, Canada The WHO/FAO global standards setting body, Codex Alimentarius, met twice in October –in Dresden, Germany…
Compilation: Blogs about former US President Donald Trump
2015: Bolton, Trump, Johnson – how food standards get lowered “Improper political interference” in US baby foods puts health and scientific integrity at stake . 2018 Conflicts of Interest and US pressure at the Codex meeting in Rome…
Will Codex open the door to exploitation of food aid in emergencies and more greenwashing?
Will Codex open the door to exploitation of food aid in emergencies and more greenwashing? IBFAN Press Release Codex Committee on Food Labelling. CCFL48 27/10/2024 – 01/11/2024 | Quebec City, Canada YOU TUBE LINK TO RECORDINGS The 48th Session of…
2024:Press Release: EU and Switzerland try to tackle sweetness – the UK wary of ‘probiotic’ claims, Codex starts new work on baby foods
2024:EU and Switzerland try to tackle sweetness – the UK wary of ‘probiotic’ claims, Codex starts new work on baby foods Codex Nutrition meeting in Germany (CCNFSDU44) LIST OF PARTICIPANTS. FINAL REPORT Dresden, Germany, 2-6th October 2024 (IBFAN website)…
Petition launched and delivered to Nestlé’s Swiss HQ with 10m symbolic sugar cubes
Media coverage: HERE HERE HERE HERE Nestlé am Pranger: Protest in Vevey nach Skandal um Babynahrung – 20 Minuten Nestlé visé par une pétition contre le sucre dans les aliments pour bébés – rts.ch – Economie Sucre dans les…
Compilation on EU and UK legislation
Compilation of some of the press releases and blogs related to EU legislation – a work in progress! Romania: EU legislation and the protection of child health Blog about Romania March 2017 https://www.babymilkaction.org/archives/11290 UK News: specialised formulas more likely…
IBFAN protecting children again from sweetened UPFs in Codex
Codex PRESS RELEASE IBFAN comments on agenda items 6.2.6.21,8 At the 44th session of the Codex Nutrition meeting in Germany next week (CCNFSDU44) – IBFAN will be once again fighting to protect children from harmful, sweetened, Ultra-Processed, plastic-wrapped products and…
Australian questions industry’s weak voluntary agreement
Draft Determination. Application for revocation of AA1000534 and the substitution of authorisation AA1000665 lodged by Infant Nutrition Council Ltd in respect of the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formula: Manufacturers and Importers Agreement, and associated guidelines. Authorisation number: AA1000665 Date…
UK news – FSNT reports on toddler milks
Don’t forget to sign the petition demanding Nestle removes free sugars and sweeteners from baby foods. https://www.babymilkaction.org/archives/43020 The toddler milks with more sugar than a chocolate milkshake – which are putting a THIRD of tots at risk of obesity and…
New Sponsorship resources from WHO
Three new WHO resources support WHO’s recommendation (1) that, in order to promote, protect and support breastfeeding, prevent obesity and noncommunicable diseases, promote healthy diets, and ensure that caregivers receive clear and accurate information on feeding, companies that market foods…
How you can see and share Tigers
How you can see and share Tigers From Oscar-winning director, Danis Tanovic (NO MAN’S LAND) and Andy Paterson (GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, THE RAILWAY MAN) comes a true story, 12 years in the making. A Pakistani salesman, employed by…
News stories: Contaminated feed caused baby’s death, UK to ban online junk food ads
News stories: Friday 13 Sept 2024. Guardian Keir Starmer ready to face down ‘nanny state’ jibes in radical public health drive Junk food ad ban, age limit on energy drinks and expanded water fluoridation among measures planned to help NHS.…
Remembering the Julie Crawford Award and Stella Glenn – please donate
We were sad to learn from her grandson of the death of Stella Glenn, the mother of Julie Crawford – a former Director of Baby Milk Action. Both were longtime supporters of our work. Jake has set up a fundraising…
Nestlé Waters fined over allegations of illegal water drilling and deception
Food products Nestlé Waters fined 2 million euros in France 10.09.2024 Nestlé Waters has to pay a fine of 2 million euros in France. The company has concluded a so-called judicial agreement in the public interest (Convention Judiciaire d’Intérêt Public…
New UNICEF Guidance: Countering Industry Arguments Against Code Implementation: Evidence and Rights-Based Responses
Important UNICEF Guidance CLICK HERE FOR A PDF Countering Industry Arguments Against Code Implementation: Evidence and Rights-Based Responses Guidance for Advocates of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes https://www.globalbreastfeeding collective.org/reports/countering-industry-arguments-against-code-implementation-evidence-and-rights-based Highlights This resource for policymakers and breastfeeding advocates…
Competition & Markets Authority: significant concerns about the behaviour of manufacturers
The Competition and Markets Authority announces significant concerns about the ‘behaviour of manufacturers…’ CMA comprehensive update August 2024 The cost of infant formula in the UK and in many other countries has been increasing unjustifiably rapidly, with an average…
Last chance to Support the addition of Exclusive Breastfeeding as an indicator in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Last chance to support the inclusion of an EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING indicator in the Sustainable Development Goals. DEADLINE Thursday 15th August 2024 Deadline Today: 15th August 2024 Here is the link to the submission page where you can add your details and…
COMPILATION: Greed-flation -Rocketing formula prices: no excuse to resort to commercial schemes.
COMPILATION: Greed-flation The cost of infant formula in the UK and in many other countries has been increasing unjustifiably rapidly, with an average price increase of 24%1 in two years from 2021 to 2023 with a 45% price increase with…
UK News: specialised formulas more likely to fuel obesity
Special baby milk ‘more likely to fuel obesity, tooth decay and digestive problems’ “Nutritionists say nine in 10 babies in the UK given formulas designed for those allergic to cow’s milk do not actually have an allergy.” An Editorial in…
Breastfeeding and the Olympics
BREAKING BARRIERS: THE BREASTFEEDING ATHLETES CHAMPIONING CHANGE AT THE PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS. By Eleanor Lee 3 August 2024 https://olympics.com/en/news/breastfeeding-athletes-championing-change-olympic-games-paris-2024 When a mother competes at an Olympic Games, she doesn’t suddenly stop being a mother. That’s the message that athletes…
600 delegates from 66 countries at the WPHN Congress challenge corporate power
University of Westminster hosts World Public Health Nutrition Congress 2024 with 600 delegate from 66 countries One year before the end of the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition, Westminster has held the World Public Health Nutrition Congress 2024 in…
Abbott must pay $495m in infant formula trial for hiding risks
Abbott must pay $495 million in premature infant formula trial for hiding risks, jury finds. Why is all the funding going into risky trials instead of support for breastfeeding, donor milk banking or Kangaroo Mother Care? In the second court…
Devex ends partnership with Nestle following alarm by NGOs and global health experts
Solidarity Statement on Palestine Devex ends partnership with Nestle following alarm by NGOs and global health experts Devex, an official media partner for the Gates Foundation, the World Economic Forum, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, OECD, United Nations, Clinton Global…
COMPILATION: Why Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships are problematic
Compilation: Why Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships are so problematic The need for sound information on infant and young child feeding is at the heart of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and the 20 World Health Assembly Resolutions that have…
U.S challenges on baby formula regulations in more than half a dozen countries
The Biden Administration Says Its Trade Policy Puts People Over Corporations. Documents on Baby Formula Show Otherwise. U.S. officials have challenged baby formula regulations in more than half a dozen countries, sometimes after manufacturers complained. Critics say the efforts are…
HISTORY OF THE DEADLY FIGHT AGAINST THE FORMULA INDUSTRY
Putting Babies Before Profits- THE HISTORY OF THE DEADLY FIGHT AGAINST THE FORMULA INDUSTRY. Alive and Thrive
Danone lobbies New Zealand to weaken labelling controls
Food giant warns 441 jobs and $1b of exports at risk from infant formula labelling plan Waikato Times – 22 July 2024 Tom Pullar-Strecker French multinational Danone has warned 441 jobs in Auckland and Otago and $1 billion in annual…
WHO: Reaching informed decision-making on engaging with private sector entities for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: a practical tool
Final publication published 2024. Supporting member states in reaching informed decision-making on engaging with private sector entities for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: a practical tool. World Health Organization. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/378209. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO IBFAN and many…
COMPILATION: Infant and Young Child Feeding in emergencies
Occupied Palestinian Territory: Focus on Arabic IYCFE tools, Why food and health should not be used as weapons of war” IBFAN Arab world, supported by many IBFAN members, has been holding webinars to show solidarity for Gaza and draw…