How Nestlé gets children hooked on sugar in lower-income countries

How Nestlé gets children hooked on sugar in lower-income countries

Nestlé, a leading baby food brand, finds itself under scrutiny for its marketing strategies that target low-income countries with high-added sugar products. In contrast to Switzerland, where similar products are offered without added sugars, investigations by Public Eye and IBFAN have uncovered Nestlé’s controversial approach. By utilizing influencers and various other strategies, Nestlé aims to boost sales in ways that contradict WHO guidelines on infant nutrition. It has been found that products like Cerelac and Nido contain significant amounts of added sugar, posing risks of obesity and other diseases in children. Despite Nestlé’s claims of reducing added sugar, there still exists a large disparity between product standards in low-income and high-income countries.
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Marketing of commercial milk formula during COVID-19 in Indonesia

Baby food marketing poses a substantial barrier to breastfeeding, whichadversely affects mothers’ and children’s health. Over the last decade, thebaby food industry has utilised various marketing tactics in Indonesia, includingdirect marketing to mothers and promoting products in public spaces and withinthe healthcare system. This study examined the marketing of commercial milkformula(CMF)andotherbreast‐milk substitute products during the COVID‐19pandemic in Indonesia. Using a local, community‐based reporting platform,information on publicly reported violations of the International Code ofMarketing of Breast‐milk Substitutes and subsequent World Health Assemblyresolutions (the Code) was collected. It was found that a total of 889 reportedcases of unethical marketing of such products were recorded primarily throughsocial media from May 20 through December 31, 2021. Our results suggest thatthe COVID‐19 pandemic has provided more opportunities for the baby foodindustry in Indonesia to attempt to circumvent the Code aggressively throughonline marketing strategies. These aggressive marketing activities include onlineadvertisements, maternal child health and nutrition webinars, Instagramsessions with experts, and heavy engagement of health professionals andsocial media influencers. Moreover, product donations and assistance withCOVID‐19 vaccination services were commonly used to create a positive imageof the baby food industry in violation of the Code. Therefore, there is an urgentneed to regulate the online marketing of milk formula and all food and beverageproducts for children under the age of 3.

Author:
Irma Hidayana, Lianita Prawindarti, Nia Umar, Kusmayra Ambarwati, Fitria Rosatriani

The baby brands turning Indonesian Instagram into free formula ads

The baby brands turning Indonesian Instagram into free formula ads

Multinational baby formula companies, such as Nestlé and Danone, are using social media to market to consumers in South East Asia in ways that raise serious concerns they may violate World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The companies have changed their advertising tactics during the coronavirus outbreak and are also using mothers to create online marketing material, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism can reveal.

More details on thebureauinvestigates.com

Formula Milk zig-zag in the Middle of a Pandemic

Formula Milk zig-zag in the Middle of a Pandemic

Formula milk producers in Indonesia are intensifying social media advertising during the pandemic. They hook mothers through various programs. Bureau Investigative Journalism suspects the companies violated the WHO code.
By Syailendra Persada, Hussein Abri Dongoran and Rosa Furneaux

More details at interaktif.tempo.co

Formula Milk Manufacturers Are Not Afraid of International Codes of Conduct

Formula Milk Manufacturers Are Not Afraid of International Codes of Conduct

In May 2016, Irma Hidayana, doctoral candidate in health and behavior at Columbia University, United States, released a report entitled “Violations of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes: Indonesia Context.” This report states that 15 percent of respondents out of 874 women they interviewed said they had received free samples of formula milk from health workers.

Milking It – How Milk Formula Companies are Putting Profits Before Science

Milking It – How Milk Formula Companies are Putting Profits Before Science

October 2017

This report represents the first global investigation into infant milks being sold for babies under 12 months old from the four leading companies: Nestlé, Danone, Mead Johnson Nutrition and Abbott. The report analyzed more than 400 infant formula products sold across 14 markets and the price differences between them. Despite the fact that the nutritional composition of infant milks is regulated by a global standard, the companies sell a wide range of products that have additional nutrients or ‘better’ ingredients or claim to be solving general conditions, such as preventing allergies or promoting better sleep or respond to general consumer concerns, such as offering GMO-free products. Our research also revealed large disparity in the prices of formula within and between countries. While the same brand of formula can cost 17 USD in the UK, in China the price is 55 USD. This leads to large disparities in family spending of infant feeding; while in Western Europe parents spend 1-3% of average salary on feeding an infant, in China this can be between 15-40%. The report concludes that increasing product differentiation is not science-based, but instead informed by careful research into consumer preferences, guided by a desire to increase manufacturers’ market share and profits.

Report English version
Report Indonesia version

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