Formula ad regulations?

[liawbh]

I thought formula ads were required to say that breastmilk is best somewhere in the ad. Usually it's there, though often in tiny print, but the Enfamil Lipil ad doesn't say it anywhere. This ad is running in FitPregnancy, and ParentsExpecting. Is there somewhere to complain to, or ?

[Janice in Canada]

formula company violations of the WHO Code for the marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes can be reported to:

United States:
NABA (National Alliance of Breastfeeding Advocacy)
http://naba-breastfeeding.org/index.shtml
c/o
Marsha Walker
254 Conant Road
Weston, MA 02493-1756
[e-mail]


Canada:
INFACT Canada http://www.infactcanada.ca/
INFACT Canada
6 Trinity Square
Toronto, ON
M5G 1B1
National Director
Elisabeth Sterken
[e-mail]



By the way, it is not specifically required by the Code that cans or ads say "breast is best". The Code actually prohibits ANY advertising to moms - which the formula co's all ignore.
See http://www.breastfeedingcanada.ca/html/webdoc12.html

They are actually putting "breast is best" on the cans, voluntarily, because IT IS TO THEIR ADVANTAGE. It makes them "look like good guys" like they are being fair.

And actually saying "breast is best" to promote breastfeeding can backfire, since most moms realize that they can't achieve "best" - Many new moms are just trying to be "good enough" and formula satisfies that.

Read more about this at:
http://www.het.brown.edu/people/kjp/...r_language.htm

Janice