Time for complete transparency about conflicts of interest in public health nutrition research

published on HRB Open Research Open Letter Time for complete transparency about conflicts of interest in public health nutrition research Marita Hennessy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9517-6380 1, Katherine Cullerton. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9517-6380 2, Phil Baker3, Amy Brown4, Helen Crawley5, Catherine Hayes. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1576-4623 6, Patricia M. Kearney7, Colette Kelly8, Martin McKee https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0121-9683 9, Melissa Mialon10, Mark Petticrew9, Patti…

Trust WHO: The Business of Global Health

STOP PRESS: April 2020Vimeo removes the film “trustWHO” which depicts the hidden practices of the WHO Trust WHO: The Business of Global Health Investigating the hidden motives behind actions of the World Health Organisation and the real powers that control…

Indian media coverage: Are baby food makers driving overdiagnosis of cow milk allergy? Doctors call on Government

Recent articles: The Times of India and Telegraph (India) Are baby food makers driving overdiagnosis of cow milk allergy Rema Nagarajan | TNN Doctors raise baby food alert Call to govt to act against covert promotion G.S. Mudur in New…

Exclusive Investigative Report: Harvard’s Pediatric Nutrition Star Comes Under Scrutiny for Conflicts of Interest

PLEASE NOTE : the link to the Nestle Boycott embedded in this article takes you back to Nestle’s own website – with Nestlé’s spin on the history of the campaign. https://womensenews.org/2018/12/exclusive-investigative-report-harvards-pediatric-nutrition-star-comes-under-scrutiny-for-conflicts-of-interest/?fbclid=IwAR1I3mXnNfAuc8dIxKfzHIZydH6CBd5kIQQWIHOIkkJA1Tmg_bQjyDZeSmA https://womensenews.org/2013/12/formula-marketers-put-pediatric-academy-in-the-bag/ Exclusive Investigative Report: Harvard’s Pediatric Nutrition Star…

Aims Journal. The State of the States

Baby Milk Action – The State of the States How the USA is leading the way in allowing commercial companies to undermine breastfeeding, and how it is impacting us in the UK AIMS Journal: https://www.aims.org.uk/journal/index/30/3 Journal Vol. 30, No. 3…

World Public Health Nutrition Association documents conflicts of Interest.

See the new World Public Health Nutrition Association (WPHNA) website that documents and reports on conflicts of interest in public health nutrition policymaking, program delivery and research. https://wphna.org/conflict-of-interest/

Milk Formula Sales and GHG Emissions: GreenFeeding Report of 10 Countries

Milk Formula Sales and GHG Emissions: GreenFeeding Report of 10 Countries 14.Dec.2018, New Delhi: In the growing climate change debate, the environmental consequence of how most of the infants and children are fed is a missing link. Data shows that around…

Influx of baby food supplies swamped Central Sulawesi emergency camps in Indonesia

Influx of baby food supplies swamped Central Sulawesi emergency camps in Indonesia Report form ICDC (International Code Documentation Centre) The care and feeding of infants and young children are compromised in emergency situations, which often lead to high rates of…

IBFAN-ICDC LEGAL UPDATE June – December 2018

IBFAN-ICDC LEGAL UPDATE June – December 2018 Topics highlighted in this issue: IBFAN ASIA AND IBFAN-ICDC LAUNCH REPORT ON THE MONITORING OF THE CODE IN 11 COUNTIRES OF ASIA INFLUX OF BABY FOOD SUPPLIES SWAMPED CENTRAL SULAWESI EMERGENCY CAMPS…

Article from Australia: Child health is on the line as Codex deliberates food standards

independent, in-depth social journalism for health Image sourced from the Australian Government’s National Breastfeeding Strategy 2018 and Beyond consultation draft Child health is on the line as Codex deliberates food standards Editor: Marie McInerneyAuthor: Julie P Smith, Alex Iellamo &…

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.…

Journalism is not a crime – sign this letter and support Oliver Schrom

Journalism is not a Crime Those who have seen Tigers or read the companion True Story Booklet will recognise Oliver Schrom – the ZDF journalist who tries to screen the documentary about Syed Aamar Raza.

Investigation reveals how cows’ milk protein allergy is extending the reach of infant formula manufacturers

Similar article 10 December 2018 By DR CHRIS VAN TULLEKEN FOR THE DAILY MAIL As the industry is accused of scaring mums off breastfeeding, don’t be fooled by the milk formula machine! BMJ Wednesday 5 December 2018 PDF of the…

Indian paediatricians call on government to curb baby food industry efforts to influence doctors

Indian paediatricians call on government to curb baby food industry efforts to influence doctors BMJ 2018; 363 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k5133 (Published 04 December 2018)Cite this as: BMJ 2018;363:k5133 https://www.bmj.com/content/363/bmj.k5133 A network of doctors and public health specialists in India has sought government intervention to curb what it says…

Thirteen million hits for the Tigers trailer as the film based on a Nestle baby milk whistleblower is premiered worldwide

TIGERS PRESS RELEASE Thirteen million hits for the Tigers trailer as the film based on a Nestle baby milk whistleblower is premiered worldwide. Over 11 million people have so far watched the youtube trailer for the eagerly awaited feature film Tigers, by Oscar-winning…

Global Trade body tackles misleading labelling of look-alike products

Trade body tackles misleading labelling of look-alike milks. 40th Codex Alimentarius Nutrition Committee (CCNFSDU) Berlin, Germany. 23-30th December 2018 In Berlin this week, foods and drinks for babies dominated the agenda of the Codex Alimentarius nutrition meeting – the WHO/Food…

Consensus vs vote: What happened at the WHA in 1994

Consensus vs vote: Why it would have been wise to call for a vote at the 71st WHA What should happen if there is no consensus? During the 1994 World Health Assembly, the USA and EU objected to a Resolution…

STOP PRESS: WHO UNICEF Information note on Follow Up Formulas

WHO INFORMATION NOTE PDF WHO WEBSITE In time for the Codex trade talks in Berlin this week, WHO has released this important new briefing – please read and share widely Clarification on the classification of follow-up formulas for children 6-36…

Tigers Billboards in Mumbai

Nestle drops scientific meeting on baby food

PDF https://www.telegraphindia.com/health/nestle-drops-scientific-meet-on-baby-food/cid/1675573 Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India sees no science in the session, just industry promotion By G.S. Mudur in New Delhi Published 17.11.18, 2:51 AM Updated 17.11.18, 9:46 AM The global food-maker Nestle cancelled a “scientific session”…

Tigers coming to the UK: WATCH THE TRAILER

Time to call a halt to Multi-Stakeholder Platforms – including the EU Platform for Action on Diet Physical Activity and Health.

Joint meeting of the High Level Group on Nutrition and Physical Activity and the EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health on 26 October 2018, in Luxembourg Joint Meeting Agenda Platform Agenda Minutes of the Platform meeting…

IBFAN’s comments after the Frankfurt meeting convened by Meridian Institute

IBFAN’s comments after the Frankfurt meeting convened by Meridian Institute Thanks to GIFA for this post. News > IBFAN’s comments after the Frankfurt meeting convened by Meridian Institute Despite IBFAN’s November 2017 Call to Action, Meridian Institute (MI) convened the…

Urgent call to protect child health from harmful trade rules

The UN committee that deals with trade – the Codex Committee on Nutrition – will be meeting in Berlin from 24th -30th November 2018. CLICK HERE for background This is a critically important meeting for child health and IBFAN and…

2018 Report Private Sector: Who is Accountable?

Although this contains some welcome critical comments, the overall conclusion is that public private partnerships are the way to go…. The 2018 Report Private Sector: Who is Accountable? by the UN Secretary-General’s Independent Accountability Panel for Every Woman, Every Child,…

Tackling Conflicts of Interest and protecting Breastfeeding at the Party Conferences

Congratulations Barrie Margetts on delivering a great platform address, at Labour Party Conference 2018, speaking passionately on the ‘tackling inequalities debate’. Posted by Joe Dukes on Wednesday, 26 September 2018 Professor Barrie Margetts, Southampton Test CLP, making a great intervention…

EU Court of Justice rules that breastfeeding mothers who work night shifts must enjoy specific protection

cp180134en Pregnant workers, workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding who work shifts, some of which are at night, must be regarded as performing night work and enjoy specific protection against the risks that night work is liable…

Useful articles on Conflicts of Interest

Links to useful article on Conflicts of Interest. Click on the Conflicts of Interest tag for blog posts on this topic. Click here for the Alliance Against Conflicts of Interest in India http://www.aaci-india.org CLICK HERE for a link to papers relating to IBFAN’s…

Everything You Wanted to Know About the Code: New Resources Available

Issue 19 | September 1, 2018 Everything You Wanted to Know About the Code: New Resources Available © UNICEF/UN0228388/Appleton Dear colleagues, In this issue of UNICEF Working to Improve Nutrition at Scale, I am glad to share three recent resources…

Baby Milk promotions in supermarkets

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/baby-milk-promotions-major-supermarkets-13176156.amp Mirror. 1.9.18 Baby milk promotions at major supermarkets could be ILLEGAL as shops ignore laws designed to encourage breastfeeding EXCLUSIVE: Campaigners say potentially illegal deals and displays are reported every week with ASDA, Sainsbury’s, Boots, Tesco and Superdrug…

The resurgent influence of big formula:Education on infant feeding must not be left to industry

14_Press_Cutting_bmj.k3577.full BMJ 2018;362:k3577 doi: 10.1136/bmj.k3577 (Published 23 August 2018) The resurgent influence of big formula Education on infant feeding must not be left to industry Natalie S Shenker Human Milk Foundation In May, word spread from the World Health…

Heinz fined $2.25m for misleading marketing of snacks for toddlers

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/aug/24/heinz-fined-225m-for-misleading-marketing-of-snacks-for-toddlers Heinz fined $2.25m for misleading marketing of snacks for toddlers ACCC counsel describes Little Kids Shredz packaging as ‘egregious’ because of the health implications Australian Associated Press. Fri 24 Aug 2018 09.06 BS https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/aug/24/heinz-fined-225m-for-misleading-marketing-of-snacks-for-toddlers

BFI Blog: Taking action against misleading marketing

Taking action against misleading marketing Patti Rundall. 20 August 2018 Building on her interview on Dispatches, this guest blog from Baby Milk Action’s Patti Rundall discusses misleading marketing of breastmilk substitutes and how we can better protect families from commercial interests. …

New resolution to protect breastfeeding proposed in US Congress

Thanks to Marsha Walker, National Alliance for Breastfeeding Action for this message: New legislative action in the US at the federal level is being proposed following the recent actions of the US government’s interference with the 2018 WHA breastfeeding resolution. In…

New UNICEF report: 78 million newborns at risk when breastfeeding is delayed

New UNICEF Report: CAPTURE THE MOMENT: Early initiation of breastfeeding: The best start for every newborn http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/infantfeeding/capture-moment-early-initiation-bf-report.pdf?ua=1 Al Jazeera and news agencies UNICEF: 78 million newborns at risk when breastfeeding is delayed Babies should be breastfed within an hour of…

Channel 4 Dispatches: Breastfeeding uncovered – and other UK media coverage

CLICK HERE to watch Dispatches: Breastfeeding uncovered. Broadcast on UK Channel 4 on Monday 30th July, 2018 and includes Baby Milk Action’s Policy Director, Patti Rundall being interviewed by Kate Quilton. CLICK HERE for Blog posts on the UNICEF Baby…

More media coverage following President Trump’s tweet.

The media coverage following the New York Times exposé continues with over 600 online editorial articles and about 900 social media posts. Below are just some of the recent articles and programs including one from 2015 that gives an insight…

2018 Conflicts of Interest and US pressure at the Codex meeting in Rome

41st CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy. 2-6 July 2018 REPORT CLICK HERE for press release on the Codex Nutrition meeting in Germany, December 2017 See Consultation Page for our latest submission on the proposed structure for a revised…

What’s all the fuss about? Q&A on 2018 World Health Assembly

U.S. Opposition to Breast-Feeding Resolution Stuns World Health Officials followed by a Tweet by President Trump that this was all ‘fake news’. Consensus text proposed by Botswana, Ecuador, The Gambia, Ghana, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, Panama, Senegal shared with…

Letters of support and outrage about the US actions

ISSOP-US Statement on America’s Opposition to the International Resolution The International Society of Social Pediatrics and Child Health (ISSOP), in concert with collaborating national and international societies of pediatrics (www.ISSOP.org), condemns in the most robust terms possible American officials’ attempts at…

2018: U.S. Opposition to Breast-Feeding Resolution Stuns World Health Officials

CLICK HERE for linked stories. CLICK HERE for the The New York Times‘ Editorial Board denouncement of the United States’ bullying at the World Health Assembly. U.S. Opposition to Breast-Feeding Resolution Stuns World Health Officials A Brooklyn mother unable to…

Petition to end unhealthy sponsorship of the World Cup

FIFA Petition_Removal unhealthy product sponsorship from the World Cup_June2018 PETITION FIFA TO REMOVE UNHEALTHY PRODUCT SPONSORSHIP FROM THE WORLD CUP Join Latin American organizations from over 20 countries who are calling upon the FIFA and its Human Rights Advisory Board…

Rome: IBFAN highlights conflicts of interest in Codex Standards setting

Report from the Codex Commission meeting in Rome – 2-6th July 2018 The Final Report of this meeting is has now been published CLICK HERE The 41st meeting of the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) – the UN body that sets standards…

Draft Council conclusions Healthy Nutrition for Children: The Healthy Future of Europe

Draft Council conclusions Healthy Nutrition for Children: The Healthy Future of Europe Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council session on 22 June 2018 Conclusions on “Healthy nutrition for children: The healthy future of Europe” On 26 April 2018,…

Media distortion of guidance for Midwives

Following the publication of new Guidance from the Royal College of Midwives there has been a flurry of media interest and some simply appalling media coverage that totally distorts the intent of the guidance. Click Here Thank heavens for Baby…

A Moment of Reckoning for Nutrition Advocates at the WHA

CLICK HERE Written by Amruta Byatnal Published on  June 7, 2018 News Deeply, Malnutrition Deeply A Moment of Reckoning for Nutrition Advocates at the WHA Nutrition advocates have accused the U.S. of siding with private sector interests, sparking a…

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…

IBFAN at the 71st World Health Assembly (WHA)

CLICK HERE for a link to the Text of the WHA Resolution that was finally adopted today at 10.55 am. CLICK HERE for PDF Please note the very serious omissions and the problematic sections that the US managed to force…

State of the Code Charts 2018 – how well have countries done in protecting babies?

15 May, 2018 Every two years since 1986, IBFAN-ICDC publishes the State of the Code by Country (SOCC), an easy-to-view chart listing the status of 198 countries in Code implementation. Findings of the SOCC 2018 reflect that 36 countries have…