BellyBelly Life Subscriber
Umm... I just saw an add for formula encouraging mums to 'move on' from breastfeeding
Okay, we all know they can't advertise baby formula.
But can they advertise 'toddler' formula and say "if you decide to move on from breastfeeding" , plus also they suggested you should comp feed with it...
It was my understanding that 'toddlers' can just have cows milk and don't need formula anyway...
Registered User
Is that the karicare one? Inthe writing on the ad it says breastfeeding recommended till there 2
BellyBelly Life Subscriber
surely after that cows milk is fine lol... i didnt have me glasses on so couldnt read the small print
Registered User
I found out the other day Australia hasn't agreed to the Code anyway, so they're allowed to advertise all formulas :-/
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Registered User
Really??
God, I love living here and I feel very lucky blah blah, but Australia really drops the ball (and sucks it too) when it comes to stuff like this.
Registered User
No, that's not correct. Australia's acceptance of the WHO code on the marketing of infant formulas is far less than ideal, but it is the MAIF agreement. You can see details, including the complaints form, here.Department of Health and Ageing - Complaints Handling Process
Manufacturers are not allowed to advertise infant formula - thus the aggressive marketing of toddler formula (carefully branded to look identical to infant formula, and yes, BabyBellyBurton, a form of food completely unnecessary for children.
The only way legistlators will ever *get it* is if we tell them. Write to APMAIF and tell them what you think of toddler formula adds in general and this ad in particular. Don't worry about whether it is within the scope of the agreement - there job to read your complaint and sort that out. (they have to log it and investigate it anyway.)
So, don't keep it to yourself - complain long and loud
Registered User
its just a spill to scare parents into thinking that solid foods and bm/ cows milk isnt satisfactory for toddlers and that they need more nutrients, total crock of boy cows poo really.
i can see its place if ur toddler really hasnt gotten into the food thing yet and u are no longer breast feeding, but i hope parents are well enough informed to know itd just a ploy.
i also cant stand the ad that insinuates that toddlers who drink a certain brand of toddler formula (cant remember which one) have stronger immune systems then those dont drink it.
Registered User
I find nothing wrong with that ad to be honest.. What I don't agree with is putting kids on a formula as toddlers.. A healthy diet, fresh air and exercise is better for their immunity
Registered User
I also find nothing wrong with the ad.
In general I also agree that a healthy balanced diet, fresh air and exercise are the key important elements and that formula isn't nessecary for toddlers. However there are exceptions to the rule - My DS1 was one of these exceptions, where health issues actually forced us to introduce him to formula as a toddler: when he had been breastfed and then put on cows milk prior to this (he self weaned from the breast at 16months). It was actually a real struggle to get a toddler formula that would help with his issues, and which he would willingly drink (most of them being 'flavoured').
Registered User
Arghhhh, drives me nuts too. My sisters GP recommended she keep her 22 mth old on formula because "she doesn't eat much so doesn't have a varied diet." Uh, dude...that's toddlers, they live on a glass of water and a slice of fresh air.
Registered User
Oh gosh... really.. there is nothing wrong with the add. Its not shoving it in your face its just saying "if YOU decide to move on from breastfeeding etc" The add still leaves the decision totally up to you. They are like any company really, they will do what they have to do to sell their product. I have always thought that it was quite a pro breastfeeding add for a formula add. It does say on the add though that WHO reccomends breastfeeding for atleast 2 years.
Another completley unessesary (sp?) formula VS breastfeeding debate..
Registered User
I saw this one and straightaway thought it was a candidate for a slot on the Gruen Transfer...seriously how insidious is it to market a thing by claiming allegiance with its biggest market competitor??! It's sick. BTW it was my DH who first spotted the ad and told me about it - so it must be all kinds of wrong for him to have noticed.
Registered User
This is what I thought...although DH saw a poster for infant formula in a shop, went in and told them he would be reporting them. It was in a very poor socioeconomic area, also with a lot of immigrants, and the poster looked at least 20 years old.
Registered User
This is NOT a FF vs BF debate!!!!!!!. If you FF, you are doing the best thing for YOUR baby. Why constantly feel down or attacked about this issue? Fact of the matter is, the add is a sneaky and backwards way of saying, your child still needs all this fabbo stuff we pack into toddler formula...including sugar. They dont. Toddler formula and infant formula are different. If you feed your baby formula, you are not a bad parent. A bad parent lets their child starve.
ETA I am not, and will never be anti formula. I am pro bf, if it's possible. If it's not, well, aren't we lucky we live in a country where formula is readily available on every supermarket shelf. People who FF have made the right decision for their child, it makes me sad to see such guilt over that choice. We parents have enough guilt as it is
Last edited by PumpkinZulu; September 16th, 2011 at 09:52 AM.
Registered User
I think the comment about formula for infants was more about the serious lack of information available to mothers who are FF an infant, rather than the fact that they are FF in the first place.
It is difficult to know where to start if faced with the decision to switch to formula as there are differences between the brands but companies aren't allowed to tell us what those differences are. And yet they're allowed to advertised "toddler milks" which are generally completely unnecessary as they are nutritional supplements rather than seen as a proper infant formula. To me there's little difference between the advertising of toddler formula and the advertising of stuff like vitamins for kids (whichever brand you pick) which both really just result in expensive wee unless there is a genuine deficiency in the diet which is a lot rarer than people think.
I do think advertising standards have the wrong end of the stick - it'd be far more helpful for them to be able to provide information to formula feeding mothers about the differences in their formula vs someone else's so long as they're not pushing formula feeding to the detriment of breastfeeding. At least then a mother could walk into a pharmacy or supermarket with some idea where to start when confronted with the wall of cans of stuff...
BellyBelly Life Subscriber
^^ THATThis is NOT a FF vs BF debate!!!!!!!. If you FF, you are doing the best thing for YOUR baby. Why constantly feel down or attacked about this issue? Fact of the matter is, the add is a sneaky and backwards way of saying, your child still needs all this fabbo stuff we pack into toddler formula...including sugar. They dont. Toddler formula and infant formula are different. If you feed your baby formula, you are not a bad parent. A bad parent lets their child starve.
ETA I am not, and will never be anti formula. I am pro bf, if it's possible. If it's not, well, aren't we lucky we live in a country where formula is readily available on every supermarket shelf. People who FF have made the right decision for their child, it makes me sad to see such guilt over that choice. We parents have enough guilt as it is
This isn't a FF vs Bf debate, or an attack on FF mums or anything. If your child is fed, warm, clean and loved you are a wonderful Mum doing the very best for your baby regardless of BF or FF.
What this is about, is big companies advertising formula in a way that is deceiving IMO.
2014 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.
What? I'm confused. Why report a poster about infant formula then? If anything, I'd be complaining about the toddler formula ads trying to trick mothers into believing their kids NEED whatever's in that stuff. Whereas, in certain situations, infant formula is neccesary. Information should be freely available, IMO.
Not trying to be argumentative, just giving my POV. Sorry to single you out in particular PZ, but your statements confuse me. We're lucky to live in a country where the product is freely available, but sadly the information is not.
Anyway I'm a tad off topic. Just re-iterating that toddler formula is completely unneccesary, and it's annoying that they can advertise THAT, but not infant formula.... which is neccesary in some circumstances. I'm repeating myself! Coffee time!
Registered User
Advertising and information are separate entities. I think detailed factsheets are the way to go. GP's are also a good source of info. Maybe even a website dedicated to the info. Something that must be actively sought out...not advertised. I will never be okay with advertising infant formula, because the purpose of advertising is money, it's to sell a product, pure and simple.
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