Are you concerned about the scrapping of the APMAIF?

[onthefly]

https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/APMAIF-call-to-action

Call to action for ABA volunteers, members and supporters

As you may be aware, the federal government is scrapping the Advisory Panel on the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formula (APMAIF). This move is detrimental to the protection of breastfeeding in Australia.

The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) is writing formally to the federal Minister for Health, Peter Dutton, to ask for APMAIF to be reinstated. We will also shortly be seeking a meeting with him to seek clarification on the Coalition’s commitment to the National Breastfeeding Strategy 2010-2015, and also to continue the process of seeking implementation of the full WHO Code.

You can support our advocacy effort by personally writing to the Health Minister Peter Dutton, asking him to reinstate APMAIF.

See below for details.

What is the WHO Code?
The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes was developed by the World Health Organization and is known as the WHO Code. It started in 1981 and Australia was one of the first signatories. The aim of the Code is to ‘contribute to the provision of safe and adequate nutrition for infants, by the protection and promotion of breastfeeding, and by ensuring the proper use of breastmilk substitutes, when these are necessary, on the basis of adequate information and through appropriate marketing and distribution’.

What is MAIF?
The Marketing in Australia of Infant Formula (MAIF) Agreement is Australia’s response to the WHO Code. It is a voluntary self-regulatory agreement between the formula manufacturers and importers who have signed the agreement, and outlines how formula can and cannot be marketed. MAIF has a much narrower scope than the WHO Code. For example, it doesn’t cover bottles or teats, retailers or pharmacists and it only covers infant formula for babies under 12 months.

What is APMAIF?
APMAIF is the panel appointed by the government to oversee the MAIF Agreement. It monitors the marketing practices of formula companies in Australia and deals with complaints received about possible breaches.

The most pressing issue at the moment is that APMAIF needs to be reinstated – without it, even if MAIF remains, there is no-one monitoring what is happening with the marketing of infant formula in Australia. We want to work collaboratively and with the government and others. Both sides of government have supported breastfeeding by providing funding for ABA’s national Breastfeeding Helpline and volunteer training.

We encourage you to support our advocacy effort by writing to the Health Minister Peter Dutton, asking him to reinstate APMAIF.

Personal letters can be a powerful form of advocacy. We ask you to use your own words, to be firm but respectful, so that we work towards a positive outcome. Here are some points you may like to cover in your letter:

A recent review commissioned by the Department of Health and Ageing recommended oversight of infant formula company marketing was still needed to provide protection from unethical marketing practices of infant formula companies.
APMAIF monitors the marketing practices of infant formula companies in Australia so is essential to the protection of breastfeeding.
In monitoring the MAIF Agreement, APMAIF increases the accountability of formula companies and also protects women who use formula to feed their babies from unethical marketing practices.
APMAIF must be reinstated.
Include any personal experience you may have regarding marketing of infant formula or APMAIF.
Your letter should be posted to:

The Hon Peter Dutton MP
Suite MG-46
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Or emailed to: minister.dutton@health.gov.au

[~TT40~]

Yes, but don't have time to elaborate atm

[Babyluv]

Yes I am very concerned

[onthefly]

Please write in if you are. The more who do, the more likely they *might* give a ****.

[RainbowRiver]

So basically, is this saying that no one will monitor what goes in and/or happens to formula that's on our shelves?

If so, then yes, as a FF mum, I will be very concerned.

Im tired and not sure if I'm understanding it properly..

[onthefly]

Currently, there are rules under the MAIF agreement which most manufacturers and importers of formula adhere to (usually, not always) in the way that they market and promote substitutes for breastmilk.

It means they have agreed not to sponsor health professionals, or pass on free samples or products to parents, amongst other things.
In other markets, formula companies pay health professionals to promote their products. Parents are lied to, told it's better than breastmilk, for eg.
As it is, the marketing claims on cans of formula are overblown and unsubstantiated a lot of the time. Parents pay for extra words on the can.

The ingredients of formula will still be controlled by whatever food standards that are currently in place. The thing is that most formulas are pretty much exactly the same in regards to basic nutritional components. It's all those extras that parents pay more for - that's where the unethical stuff comes in. And the claims that this is a 'reflux' formula, or one for 'hungry' babies, or one to make them 'sleep' or whatever. Most of the time the magic ingredient is just a thickener.

Right now, if signatories to the MAIF agreement break the rules, you can complain to APMAIF. Not much ever happens, but we live in hope that one day a government will have the balls to enact the WHO code.

Last year a particular company switched out some key ingredients in its product. They were still fine to use, according to health standards. They were not tainted. Some babies became unwell as a result of the change however, which was only made because one ingredient was cheaper than the other. When parents complained, they were told to suck it up. Obviously there was just something wrong with their baby, because there was nothing wrong with the formula. Never mind that they changed it without notice to parents. Never mind that very vulnerable babies are relying on these products as their sole source of nutrition.

[tk1999]

Yes and it breaks my heart. I will be writing to the Health Minister and encouraging everyone I can to do the same.