Nestle and Gerber

[abc123xyz]

Hi there...I was not aware of this until a couple weeks ago and after researching, I have confirmed it: Nestle and Gerber are one in the same. They are owned by the same company...well, Nestle owns Gerber. I find that really disturbing. What I read, they know corner the baby market and offer 82% of all food products in the world. Awful!!! I knew there was a good reason I made my own baby food or if I didn't, would've bought an organic brand but this makes me mad almost!!!

[jocelynr]

I had a sneaking suspicion of this this weekend. I was watching What Not to Wear on TLC (LOVE that show--hate some others), and a TLC commercial came on about feeding babies. It was all about how to know when to feed, how much, etc. There was not one breastfed baby on that commercial. ALL were of bottles (many those tiny ones the hospital sends home with moms). It turns out the commercial was sponsored by Gerber, then they aired the commercial immediately following of all the moms talking to their pregnant bellies. That led me to believe that Gerber is now owned by Nestle. I wasn't planning on feeding baby food anyway, but now I surely won't do it.

[Mama2Rio]

Originally Posted by jkseawell

Nestle owns Gerber. I find that really disturbing. What I read, they know corner the baby market and offer 82% of all food products in the world. Awful!!! I knew there was a good reason I made my own baby food or if I didn't, would've bought an organic brand but this makes me mad almost!!!

i knew i didn't want to give dd gerber.... they're just "too big" of a company. they have an organic line i noticed.

I have only bought earth's best b/c of my concern of high nitrates in food like carrots. i like making dd food, i know what goes in it and i usually give her whole, not mashed food.she likes it better that way.

[mom2tig99Nroo03]

nestle and gerber have been one and the same for awhile..


and beech-nut still gives the info that babies should be started on rice cereal/solids at around 4 month

[teale]

Huh. I didn't know that.

I'm glad we did babyled weaning over here and had no use for any of their products. If I did buy any premade food it was from Superstore from their organic line.

[kriket]

poop. Now I have to find different breast pads. I should just suck it up and make them

Did we know Purina is a nestle company too? I was buying dog food, (I don't usually buy purina, but it was on mega sale) and I noticed the nestle logo real tiny in the coroner.... :

[LadyCatherine185]

this might be a stupid question.. but what is wrong with nestle? is it because they make formula?

[treetop]

My personal reason is that a CHOCOLATE company is making formula (promoting it over breastfeeding) and baby food! It does not make any sense to me.
Honestly, I did not know that Gerber was owned by Nestle. Not that I have bought much of the food products (only when we where on a road trip) but I do have some breast pads.

[nettieferg]

I am also wondering about the Nestle thing (although, I am sure it has been posted before?) . . .

Thanks!

[annettemarie]

It is absolutely not because they make formula. As a matter of fact, their formula isn't even on the boycott list. Rather, it's because of their consistantly deceptive marketing practices.
http://www.babymilkaction.org/pages/boycott.html

[AnalogWife]

I think the Nestle/Gerber merge is new? I get emails from Good Start (I signed up after reading Milk Money, I was curious what the "Good Start Moms Club" had to say) and they recently emailed me saying that "Wow! Now you get news from Gerber AND Good Start! :" Aye, it gave me a headache, and I don't buy Gerber so it meant nothing to me. However I recently was buying from a list for charity and there was Cloth Diapers on the list and my DH pointed at the Gerber cloth diapers...made out of POLYESTER.

[jocelynr]

Originally Posted by AnalogWife

However I recently was buying from a list for charity and there was Cloth Diapers on the list and my DH pointed at the Gerber cloth diapers...made out of POLYESTER.

Those diapers are worthless. I feel bad for people who try them and quit cloth.

[nettieferg]

Originally Posted by jocelynr

Those diapers are worthless. I feel bad for people who try them and quit cloth.

*me*

If we ever have another DB, I will be consulting the mothering CD boards! I *now* know there are better options! (My mom had used Gerber for us, but they were different -thick/soft- I thought those would be the same; they weren't *sigh*)

[foreverinbluejeans]

Nestle purchased Gerber in April of 2007 for $5.5 Billion.

The Nestle boycotte began in 1977 because of outrage about the company's marketing practices in less developed countries. Nestle would do things like promote formula as the superior infant food, give free formula until the woman's milk supply 'dried up', and then charge so much that the family could not afford the formula. Babies would become ill and die. Nestle continues to violate the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes.

There have been very few times I have bought things from Nestle owned companies since 1977. Imagine how much money they have lost from my family with 3 children. They don't care. They make so much more doing things the way they have been doing them and they are aware that their practices lead to infant illness and death.

[proudmomof4]

Originally Posted by foreverinbluejeans

There have been very few times I have bought things from Nestle owned companies since 1977. Imagine how much money they have lost from my family with 3 children. They don't care. They make so much more doing things the way they have been doing them and they are aware that their practices lead to infant illness and death.

I think you are wrong - they do care. People like you are part of the reason they do spend such a huge amount on marketing.
You are making a difference.

[KimberlyD0]

Originally Posted by proudmomof4

I think you are wrong - they do care. People like you are part of the reason they do spend such a huge amount on marketing.
You are making a difference.

I have to say I agree. Else they wouldn't have stopped and would have gone under a LONG time ago. The company is not the same as it was 31 years ago. I mean even the people who run it are not the same.

I believe in second chances I guess I also believe in the over all good of people themselves. There has to be more to it. I just can't believe that they intentionally hurt and killed children to make money. I just can't.

Just my :

I'm not a boycotter type of person, what can I say I LIKE gurber and nestle products to much

That said I do understand and respect why other would choose to boycott. To each their own I guess.

Out of curiosity though I think I missed something.. what consistantly deceptive marketing practices have they done?? *confused*

I highly doubt the boycotting that has happend has effected the company to badly. After all they're on top.

[jocelynr]

Originally Posted by KimberlyD0

I have to say I agree. Else they wouldn't have stopped and would have gone under a LONG time ago. The company is not the same as it was 31 years ago. I mean even the people who run it are not the same.

I believe in second chances I guess I also believe in the over all good of people themselves. There has to be more to it. I just can't believe that they intentionally hurt and killed children to make money. I just can't.

Just my :

I'm not a boycotter type of person, what can I say I LIKE gurber and nestle products to much

That said I do understand and respect why other would choose to boycott. To each their own I guess.

Out of curiosity though I think I missed something.. what consistantly deceptive marketing practices have they done?? *confused*

I highly doubt the boycotting that has happend has effected the company to badly. After all they're on top.

Please visit the site annettemarie posted to see what their practices are. There is too much information out there to post it all here. Just one thing that they have done is to send their marketers out to 3rd world countries dressed as nurses to promote their formula directly to mothers.

[AnalogWife]

Originally Posted by jocelynr

Just one thing that they have done is to send their marketers out to 3rd world countries dressed as nurses to promote their formula directly to mothers.

IIRC, that didn't just go on in 3rd world countries, but in American hospitals as well. Unbelievable!

[amlikam]

the hardest part is boycotting the chocolate.

I have been avoiding nestle for 6 yrs now after doing a research paper on their unethical business practices for a college course.


Originally Posted by jocelynr
Just one thing that they have done is to send their marketers out to 3rd world countries dressed as nurses to promote their formula directly to mothers.


this one was a kicker for me.

one of the articles i read was an interview with one of the head promoters during the time. they basicaly stated they were well aware it was wrong while they were doing it.... :

[honeybunch2k8]

I'm not surprised!

Originally Posted by jocelynr
Just one thing that they have done is to send their marketers out to 3rd world countries dressed as nurses to promote their formula directly to mothers.

I wish I could be surprised!

i think I want to boycott Nestle,now too! I hope they don't make Good Life Dog Food. Hmmm, I'm trying to think of what I buy now that could be nestle??? I get choc from the health food store.