Canadian Laws About Advertising Formula?

[dido1]

Hi All and hopefully Janice from Canada if you are lurking out there. Last night I came home to find a postcard flyer from Shoppers Drugmart specifically and only advertising infant formula. I thought it was illegal to direct market formula in Canada? Is that correct? I want to give Shoppers both barrels, but not if I'm in the wrong. Well, I might give it to them anyway for sending me formula advertising just because I'm registered with their Mother's Club!

[miche28]

My understanding is that while Canada adopted the Code, we've never enacted legislation to actually make it an offense to break the Code or attach any penalty to to those offense.

Have you picked up a mainstream parenting magazine lately? Canadian Living is chockful of Nestle ads, so is Today's parent (I think it's Enfamil). Worse, I've never been to a pediatrician or family doctor's office where there isn't formula advertising (not that I've been to that many, mind you).

As far as I can tell, it's pretty well as bad as in the US where the Code hasn't been adopted.

[Janice in Canada]

Yes, I am lurking about. Its after midnight here, and everyone is asleep, so it really does feel like "lurking"......


miche28 is correct.

We "ratified" the code, but we did not put any laws in place to enforce it. Canada takes an "educational approach" to the Code - and it is a "voluntary" code that the manufacturers are supposed to follow. There are no penalties.

INFACT Canada does document these violations, and periodically prepares a report, that they submit to Health Canada. They try to pressure Health Canada.

I can remember one rare situation where one of the manufacturers (Mead Johnson I think) was criticized by Health Canada and was forced to stop making a certain health claim for one of its new formulas. I think it was in regards to the new DHA formulas. I'd have to look that up.

But in general, the manufacturers do whatever kinds of marketing they want. If we see less of it here in Canada, I would think that is just because we might be a smaller market (ie less people, and somewhat higher breastfeeding rates).

Please feel free to send whatever marketing items or samples you get, to INFACT - they need them for thier reports.

Janice

[Janice in Canada]

Oh yah feel free to "give it" to Shopper's. I think that would be an effective use of your time.

Lots of moms want to write to the manufacturers to complain, which I think it pretty much a total waste of time and effort. But Shoppers does have a choice in the matter, and if they think they are ticking off more bfing moms, than they are pleasing ffing moms, they might think twice before they agree to handing out the formula co marketing material.

(the manufacturer is probably paying for all or most of the cost of that marketing piece - that just how business works - other kinds of co's do the same thing)

Janice
sales and marketing professional in a previous life!