Influencers should be BANNED from promoting formula milk on social media, WHO says

Influencers should be banned from promoting formula on social media, the World Health Organization has said.

Experts said manufacturers were increasingly using “exploitative marketing” online to encourage parents to switch to formula or buy more expensive products than necessary.

It said the latest update to its marketing guidance, published this month, was essential to help keep regulation in line with rapid developments in the digital world.

“Digital environments are rapidly becoming the predominant source of exposure to breast milk substitute promotion globally, digital marketing amplifies the reach and power of advertising and…exposure to digital marketing increases the purchase and use of breast milk substitutes,” the WHO said. .

The new guidelines propose banning influencers from directly promoting formula products, but also say formula companies should not pay them to promote branded content, such as online ‘baby clubs’ or parenting advice lines, on social media. .

In the UK, formula maker Cow & Gate has previously featured celebrities such as Loose Women panellist Stacey Solomon and Love Island contestant Olivia Bowen in videos promoting its C&G Baby Club on Facebook and Instagram.

Both celebrity moms have also independently published about their experiences with breastfeeding.

And numerous lifestyle and parenting influencers have been paid to directly offer follow-on formula products (designed for babies 6 months and older) from brands like Aptamil and Kendamil to their thousands of followers on social networks. social networks.

Amy Brown, professor of children’s public health at Swansea University, welcomed the proposal to crack down on influencer marketing.

“Although there may be exceptions, influencers tend not to be experts in infant feeding and public health,” he said.

‘They are sharing their opinions… (which) are not necessarily based on evidence or good information for others, and could inadvertently do more harm than good.

“These guidelines will help prevent that.”

He added: “Much of the information we get now comes from social media and digital marketing; the (formula) industry has taken advantage of that to find loopholes in regulation to reach parents.”

“Parents deserve information and support that is evidence-based and accurate.”

Speaking at Unicef’s UK Baby Friendly Initiative Conference in Harrogate this week, Shereen Fisher, director of the Baby Friendly Initiative, said: ‘This is about protecting families from aggressive marketing techniques.

‘Restricting marketing does not mean that products cannot be sold or that factual scientific information about them cannot be provided.

‘Nor does it restrict parental choice.

“It simply seeks to ensure that its decisions are based on complete and unbiased information and not on misleading, inaccurate or biased marketing claims.”

Releasing new guidance on “regulatory measures aimed at restricting digital marketing of breast milk substitutes”, the WHO said regulation was needed to “prohibit the use of digital marketing tools”, including “advertising on marketing platforms”. social media” and “influencer marketing,” adding that health professionals should be prohibited from receiving payments for promoting formulas online.

It also called for an end to formula companies creating ‘baby clubs’ on social media – such as the C&G Baby Club – or offering parenting advice, and a ban on companies using digital marketing to ‘build relationships’ with parents.

Manufacturers should also be prevented from “encouraging or allowing consumers to share, react or comment on marketing content,” he added.

Although a WHO International Code on Marketing already prohibits brands from directly targeting new parents, it does not expressly include all forms of digital marketing.

The guidance is not legally binding, but individual countries that are WHO member states, including the UK, are expected to ultimately update their laws to align with WHO recommendations.

But the update comes as it was revealed that only half of infant and follow-on formula products sold in Britain currently comply with UK labeling laws.

Researchers, led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, analyzed 57 product labels and found that only 50 percent were fully compliant with the UK law.

The study, presented at the conference, found that the labels contained claims that “idealize formula milk or nutritional and health claims,” ​​which are not allowed.

Researchers said they also contained promotional content, such as advice lines for new parents, which were an example of companies “seeking to build relationships with mothers/caregivers.”

They said the labels “violated” many of the laws and regulations designed to protect parents from “exploitative” marketing and showed “how manufacturers use product labels as marketing tools to increase sales.”

“UK law should be better implemented and strengthened in line with the (WHO) Code to protect safe and appropriate breastfeeding and formula feeding,” the authors added.

A spokesman for Danone, which makes Aptamil and Cow & Gate, said: ‘How to feed your child is an important decision for any parent.

‘While breast milk gives babies the best nutritional start in life, some parents are unable to breastfeed.

‘Many also choose to partially or fully feed their children baby formula.

‘Formula is a legitimate, quality option that should be respected and parents should not feel judged for feeding their little one formula.

‘When it comes to feeding, parents turn to health professionals, family and friends, as well as online sources.

‘The attempt to ban access to information about baby formula makes it difficult for parents to make an informed decision and stigmatizes a legitimate feeding option.

‘Infant formula is the only recognized alternative to breast milk and is highly regulated to ensure proper communication, labeling and marketing of products; We strictly adhere to these UK regulations.’