Request for comments on the development of the Codex Strategic Plan 2026-2031 – Part 1 – how Codex works as part of the multilateral system on food and trade CL2023/65/OCSEXEC As the first step in this programme of engagement, Members and…
IBFAN comments on WHO Consultation on digital marketing
Online public consultation: draft guidance on regulatory measures aimed at restricting digital marketing of breast-milk substitutes Deadline of submission: 17 September 2023 The WHO draft guidance is HERE. IBFAN response Baby Milk Action Digital 17.9 IBFAN warmly welcomes this draft…
Consultation on the Australian Manufacturers Agreement
Review of the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formulas: Manufacturers and Importers Agreement (MAIF Agreement) Deadline 12th March 2023. The Australian Government is seeking feedback to inform the Review of the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formulas: Manufacturers and Importers…
Codex: will ‘sustainability’ claims boost trade of harmful products?
“You meet at time of unprecedented challenges. Conflicts and climate change are exacerbating food insecurity and malnutrition. Most people around the world who have access to food cannot afford healthy dietsThe Codex . Deforestation and habitat loss are increasing the…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
GLOBAL TRADE: Safer labelling on baby foods and drinks urgently needed
IBFAN FUF comment IBFAN RUTF comment IBFAN COMMENT FOPN IBFAN ENCA CRD 46th CCFL 3 Governments must take the lead on public health policies: Safer labelling for baby drinks and foods urgently needed. 46th Codex Committee on Food Labelling IBFAN…
Comments on UK DRAFT DHSC Guidance Notes
FINAL GUIDELINES https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infant-and-follow-on-formula-and-food-for-special-medical-purposes https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infant-and-follow-on-formula-and-food-for-special-medical-purposes/commission-delegated-regulation-eu-2016127-supplementing-regulation-eu-no-6092013-guidance DRAFT DHSC Guidance Notes on Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/127 (supplementing Regulation (EU) No 609/2013) 16th August 2021 The UK has held a consultation on draft guidance on Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/127 for…
Please help ensure an end to misleading promotion of risky, ultra-processed baby drinks.
The Deadline for the next round of Codex comments covering Drinks for young children (12-36 months) was 30th June.. The next and possibly final online nutrition meeting where a decision will be taken will be November. Click here for…
Australia: consultation on the industry voluntary self-regulatory agreement (MAIF)
Consultation on the Australian voluntary self-regulatory agreement (MAIF) The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is consulting on an application by the Infant Nutrition Council (INC) for re-authorisation for current and future manufacturers in, and importers into, Australia of infant…
CFS47 Statements made by Member States, the UN and others
Some notable Excerpts from Statements made on February 10th 2021 WHO (and UNICEF) In the context of the negotiation we have expressed the concern that, in the spirit of compromise the text of the Voluntary Guidelines does not fully reflect…
The Code and other safeguards threatened by UN Voluntary Guidelines on Food
The Code and other safeguards threatened by corporate friendly Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition. The Plenary session of the UN Committee on Word Food Security (CFS47) ended on the 11th February, after several weeks of intense negotiations over…
UK consultations on composition of baby foods, online marketing GMOs
UK Consultations: The regulation of genetic technologies Deadline: 17.3.21 DRAFT Public Health England (PHE) proposals for 2023 commercial baby food and drink guidelines. DEADLINE 5th January 2021 BMA-response FSNT Response Total restriction of online advertising for products high in fat,…
New UK consultations on baby foods and online marketing
Nov 2020 DRAFT PHE proposals for 2023 commercial baby food and drink guidelines. We expect another consultation on marketing and labelling soon with a deadline of January 5th 2021. _____________________________________________________________________________ New public consultation on total ban of online advertising…
Codex developments: Follow on Formula, RUTF, Biofortification
43rd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. (CAC). 24/09/2020 – 06/11/2020 Virtual, See Press Release from last Year: CODEX: Exporting countries put trade before the health of the planet and children. See previous Blog with links to our detailed comments.…
Codex ignores risks to health and the planet of the global trade of ultra-processed foods.
Codex boosts the trade of UPFs, ignoring the risks to health and the planet. The 43rd Codex Commission (CAC43) is meeting this week ( 24, 25, 26 September) and will discuss some important issues. Thankfully, CAC is much more…
Managing Severe Acute Malnutrition/Severe Wasting
Global Action Plan (GAP) on child wasting* During the WHO Executive Board (3-8th January) WHO conducted a very short consultation on this new plan. Baby Milk Action Response NAPi India Response (a national think tank on nutrition) The final Plan proposes…
WHO Executive Board Meeting: Biennial Reporting on the International Code under threat
WHO Executive Board Meeting, 3 February 2020 – 8 February 2020, WHO Headquarters, Geneva Event website WEBCAST HERE SEE Press release HERE IBFAN made interventions on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nurition (Agenda Item 18 see Friday pm webcast…
Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition – Draft One
IBFAN is a member of Food and Nutrition working group of the Civil Society Mechanism (CSM) of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS). We regularly contribute to the deliberations of the CSM-CFS through the WG. Presently, the CFS is…
WHO consultation on Governance
WHO information session on NSA consultation and secretariat proposals: IBFAN Questions/Comments 16th December 2019 – Some very worrying changes are bing proposed at this meeting and I am joining this meeting by WEBEX. Thanks to colleagues from the Geneva NGO…
WHO evaluation of Framework for Engagement with Non State Actors (FENSA)
Evaluation of WHO’s Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors (FENSA), November 2019. WHO Evaluation Office _____________________________________________ We have been calling on WHO to carry out a thorough, open and transparent evaluation of FENSA ever since this Framework was adopted in…
Consultation on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Consultation on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Chance to include an indicator for Exclusive Breastfeeding and to define the term ‘Partnership’ Deadline 8th September The 2020 Comprehensive Review of the global indicator framework to monitor progress on the SDGs has…
Codex Committee for Africa – new proposal by IBFAN
FAO/WHO COORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR AFRICA 23rd Session. Nairobi, Kenya, 2-6 September 2019 Background papers Please contact your government for support for IBFAN’s PROPOSAL FOR NEW WORK CONCERNING A REGIONAL STANDARD FOR THE LABELLING AND ADVERTISING OF BREASTMILK SUBSTITUTES AND OTHER…
IBFAN at the 42nd Codex Commission meeting in Geneva
I attended the Codex meeting in Geneva and spoke on several subjects, including the concern by African countries about additives added to liquid milk, and the need to ensure that there are safeguards against commercial interest, especially of the…
IBFAN comment on EFSA open session on age of introduction of baby foods
IBFAN comment on EFSA Public Consultation on the draft scientific opinion on appropriate age for introduction of baby foods. 93rd NDA Plenary Meeting in Parma. – 3rd July 2019 Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) After attending the…
EFSA’s faulty consultation on the age of introduction of baby foods closes.
Stop press: I will be attending the Open Plenary of the Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens on 3 July 2019 from 9 am to 3.30 pm where the draft opinion and the technical report addressing the comments…
IBFAN protecting child health at the 72nd World Health Assembly
With Fedora Bernard, Katie Campbell, Britta Boutry Stadelmann IBFAN’s team is covering this year’s World Health Assembly that is taking place in Geneva from 20-28th May. It will be followed by a 2-day meeting of the Executive Board (EB). You…
IBFAN at the Codex Labelling: Bio-fortification, Cross Branding, front of pack labelling
REP19_FLeIBFAN and partner NGOs at the CODEX Food Labelling Committee 45th CCFL, 13-17th May, 2019, Ottawa, Canada I will be posting a longer report soon, but in summary, this was a very successful week. The Bio-fortification definition was not agreed – indeed…
CSO Groups Call for Codex Guidelines on Front-of-pack Labelling to Protect the Right to Health not Corporate Interests
Codex FOPNL CSO Statement FINAL For Immediate Release: This week (13-17 May 2019) the Codex Alimentarius1Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) will begin formal negotiations on guiding principles for the development of front-of-pack nutritition labelling (FOPNL) in Ottawa, Canada. …
Why ‘No Deal’ would be a disaster for human health.
Baby Milk Action supporters will be aware that EU Legislation on baby food marketing fails to meet WHO marketing requirements However in terms of food safety and Human Rights, EU laws are some of the world’s strongest and at Codex…
Baby Milk Action response:EU Brexit Consultation – The Nutrition (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018
UK Brexit Consultation. The Nutrition (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 Baby Milk Action Comment Baby Milk Action IBFAN UK EU Chronology Consultation description This two week consultation conducted by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) ended on Friday 14th.…
APPGIFI: Parliamentary Inquiry on the cost of infant formula
APPGIFI: Parliamentary Inquiry on the cost of infant formula http://www.infantfeedingappg.uk/appg-inquiry-infant-formula-costs/ The All Party Parliamentary Group on Infant Feeding and Inequalities has launched an inquiry on the costs of infant formula to families in the UK and the impact that…
UK Health Select Committee on childhood obesity includes Early Years at last
CLICK HERE for background papers 5Early years and schools Early years 60.The first 1000 days (from conception to a child’s second birthday) are widely considered to be the most formative in a child’s development, with health behaviours already heavily…
Comments on WHO’s High Level Commission
Consultation on the draft report of the WHO Independent High-level Commission on NCDs (Deadline: 16 May 2018) Baby Milk Action/IBFAN UK comments on this consultation (PDF or page down for full text) While this draft report contains some useful observations, these…
IBFAN at the 142nd WHO Executive Board Meeting
142nd session of the Executive Board 22–27 January 2018, Geneva, Switzerland CLICK HERE for the webcasts of all the meetings. This has been a hectic week once more at the WHO Executive Board (EB)- and we have needed to give…
WHO Consultations
WHO Consultation on Conflicts of Interest in nutrition Here is a comment from IBFAN. IBFAN_WHO_COI_Nutrition_24_9_17 Here are comments from the Geneva Infant Feeding Association GIFA comments+refs Comments by Judith Richter: http://www.who.int/nutrition/consultation-doi/judith_richter.pdf Judith Here is a comment from Marc Rodwin http://www.who.int/nutrition/consultation-doi/marc_rodwin.pdf Here is…
To be trustworthy Codex standards should be protected from commercial influence
To be trustworthy Codex standards should be protected from commercial influence Click Here for the webcast of ‘NGO’ Panel Wednesday 7-8pm 19th July chaired by the outgoing Codex Chair, Awilo Ochieng Pernet. Panel Members: AOAC International (Erik Konings, Past President)…
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reaffirms the need for strict controls
Latest science further protects infants The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published its final guidance on 31st May on the assessment needed for food for babies under the age of 16 weeks. Following a consultation EFSA maintains the requirement for an extended one…
Protecting breastfeeding in Emergencies
CLICK HERE for background documents CLICK HERE for live webcasts IBFAN Intervention on the debate on Emergencies at the 70th World Health Assembly, Palais des Nations, Geneva 22nd May 2017 Protecting breastfeeding in Emergencies and the Business of Malnutrition Agenda Item…
Codex follow-on formula standard
Consultation on the Codex revision of the Follow-up Formula Standard. Deadline 7th April. IBFAN’s submission on scope and labelling relating to the revision of the Follow-up Formulas Standard is HERE IACFO’s submission on scope and labelling relating to the revision of the Follow-up Formulas Standard…
Conflicts of Interest in Food security and Nutrition Policies: Which way forward for the CFS?
Thursday 20 of October 2016 18.00-19.30 Iraq Room I attended the Committee on Food Security this week in Rome. CLICK HERE for photos of our side meeting attended by 200 people. Conflicts of Interest in Food security and Nutrition Policies:…
New IBFAN comments: WHO Guidance on Ending inappropriate promotion of foods for infants and Young Children
New IBFAN comments on Resolution on WHO Guidance on Ending inappropriate promotion of foods for infants and Young Children Following the meeting of Member States on 2nd May, there will be another meeting on 20th May to discuss the Resolution…
Inappropriate marketing of baby foods – new consultation round
Inappropriate marketing of baby foods – new consultation round to start soon Following the last meeting of Member States in early April, we understand that some changes have been made to the Guidance and we hope that our remaining concerns will…
URGENT: EU Parliament to vote on nutrient profiles
URGENT: EU Parliament to vote on nutrient profiles 12th April. Please contact your MEP Nutrient profiles could be very helpful in curbing the huge number of claims authorised for baby foods and products. Thanks to the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA)…
Link to New EU Delegated Acts
CLICK HERE for a link to the new Delegated Acts in all languages http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/?uri=OJ:L:2016:025:TOC The EU delegated regulations on Infant Formula, Follow on Formula and Foods for Special Medical Purposes were published on 2.2. 2016 The link above takes you…