According to the World Health Organization, influencers should be banned from promoting bottle feeding on social media.
Experts say manufacturers are increasingly using “exploitative marketing” online to persuade parents to switch to formula or buy more expensive products than necessary.
The company said the latest update to its marketing guidelines, released this month, was critical to bringing regulations in line with rapidly changing developments in the digital world.
“Digital environments are rapidly becoming the primary source of advertising for breast milk substitutes worldwide, digital marketing increases 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 a ban on influencers directly promoting baby formula products, but also note that they should not be paid by baby formula companies to promote branded content such as online “baby clubs” or parenting advice centers on social media.
Loose Women panellist Stacey Solomon and her son Rex have previously appeared in social media videos promoting baby formula maker Cow & Gate’s Baby Club
Love Island contestant Olivia Bowen has also appeared in videos promoting the brand alongside her husband and Love Island co-star Alex
In the UK, baby formula maker Cow & Gate has already featured celebrities such as Loose Women panellist Stacey Solomon and Love Island contestant Olivia Bowen in videos promoting C&G Baby Club on Facebook and Instagram.
Both celebrity moms have also independently opened up about their breastfeeding experiences.
And countless smaller lifestyle and parenting influencers have been paid to market follow-on milk products (for babies over six months) from brands like Aptamil and Kendamil directly to their thousands of social media followers.
Amy Brown, professor of children’s public health at Swansea University, welcomed the proposed crackdown on influencer marketing.
“While there may be exceptions, influencers are generally not experts in child nutrition and public health,” she said.
“They share their opinions…” [which] are not necessarily based on evidence or good information for others and may inadvertently do more harm than good.
“These guidelines will help prevent that.”
She added: “A lot of the information we get now comes through social media and digital marketing [formula] The industry has used this to find regulatory loopholes and reach parents.
“Parents deserve information and support that must be fact-based and accurate.”
Shereen Fisher, director of the Baby Friendly Initiative, told the Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative conference in Harrogate this week: “This is about protecting families from aggressive marketing techniques.”
“Restricting marketing does not mean that the products cannot be sold or that factual scientific information about them cannot be made available.”
“Nor does it limit parents’ choices.”
“This is simply to ensure that their decisions are made on the basis of complete and unbiased information and not on the basis of misleading, inaccurate or biased marketing claims.”
The WHO has published new guidelines on “regulatory measures aimed at limiting the digital marketing of breast milk substitutes” and said regulations are needed to “prohibit the use of digital marketing tools”, including “advertising on social media platforms” and “Influencer Marketing”. Additionally, health professionals should not be paid to promote formulas online.
It also called for an end to baby formula companies setting up social media outlets – such as C&G Baby Club – or providing parenting advice, as well as a ban on companies using digital marketing to build “relationships” with parents .
Manufacturers should also be prohibited from “encouraging or enabling consumers to share, respond to or comment on marketing content,” it said.
Although a WHO international marketing code already prohibits brands from directly targeting new parents, it does not expressly cover all forms of digital marketing.
Experts say manufacturers are increasingly using “exploitative marketing” to persuade parents to switch to formula or buy more expensive products than necessary
The guidelines are not legally binding, but it is expected that individual WHO member states – including Britain – will update their laws at some stage to align with the WHO recommendations.
However, the update comes after it was revealed that only half of baby and follow-up products sold in the UK currently comply with UK labeling laws.
Researchers led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine analyzed 57 product labels and found that only 50 percent fully complied with UK law.
Research presented at the conference found that labels contain claims “that idealize bottle feeding or make nutritional and health claims,” which are unacceptable.
The researchers said they also included promotional content such as phone counseling services for new parents, an example of companies trying to “build relationships.”[s] with mothers/carers.
They said the labels “violate” many laws and regulations meant to protect parents from “exploitative” marketing and show “how manufacturers use product labels as marketing tools to increase sales.”
“UK legislation needs to be better enforced and strengthened in line with the law [WHO] Code for the protection of breastfeeding and safe and appropriate bottle feeding,” the authors added.
A spokesman for Danone, maker of Aptamil and Cow & Gate, said: “How you feed your child is an important decision for every parent.”
“Although breast milk provides babies with the best nutrients to start life, some parents are unable to breastfeed.”
“Many also choose to fully or partially bottle feed their children.”
“Bottle feeding is a legitimate, high-quality option that should be respected, and parents should not feel judged if they feed their little ones formula.”
“When it comes to nutrition, parents turn to health care providers, family and friends, and online resources.
“Banning access to information about baby food prevents parents from making an informed decision and stigmatizes a legitimate feeding option.”
“Infant formula is the only recognized alternative to breast milk and is subject to strict regulations to ensure appropriate communication, labeling and marketing of the products; We strictly adhere to these British regulations.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
