If Controversy

8/6/2019 If Controversy

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Henri Nestldevelops the firstbreast milksubstitute. In his

"Memorial on theNutrition of Infants"printed in 1869,Henri Nestl wrote:"During the first

months, themother's milk willalways be the mostnatural nutriment,

and every mother,able to do so should


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In 1921, Nestl begins local dairy productmanufacturing in Brazil

Breast milk substitutes areused widely throughout the

industrialized nations. Onlyslightly more than 20% of USmothers choose to breast-feed.


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The Protein Advisory Group (PAG) isorganized as an ad hoc coalition of UNagencies. PAG was concerned with theproblems of infant "protein malnutrition" intropical and subtropical regions. PAG wasinitially a cooperative and non-adversarialgroup of pediatricians, nutritionists,government officials, and representatives of

infant food manufacturers.


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Derrick Jelliffe, director of the

Caribbean Food and NutritionInstitute and PAG consultant,writes Child Nutrition inDeveloping Countries, a U.S

Government brochure warningof the dangers of improperlyused breast milk substitutes

Jelliffe brings his concerns to a UN meetingin Bogata, Columbia. Another group ofhealth experts at that meeting, disagreewith his position, holding that infant

formula is needed product and that infantmorbidit has to be viewed as art of a


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June: PAG Conference in Paris. By this timethe group's emphasis has shifted to themarketing practices of the infant formulamanufacturers and the tone becomes moreadversarial.

July: PAG Issues Statement 23 outlining theresponsibilities of governments,pediatricians and the infant formulaindustry. Manufacturers are asked to look to

marketing practices and product labeling.

Nestlperforms an internal audit andconcludes that the only change necessary isgreater emphasis on the "primacy of breast

feeding in its advertisements".


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August: The New Internationalistpublishes an article entitled "TheBaby Food Tragedy .

October: The New Internationalistprints an edited and abbreviatedNestl response as well as a follow-up

editorial entitled "Milk and

Murder". In its article Nestl invitesjournalists to corporate headquartersin Vevey Switzerland to get thecomplete story.


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June: A German activist organization, theThird World Action Group (TWAG),publishes a German language translation ofthe Muller pamphlet entitled Nestl totetBabys (Nestl Kills Babies)

March: Mike Mullerreleases his pamphlet,"The Baby Killer .


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June 2:(The Berne Trial) Nestl sues

for libel. A total of 17 peopleincluding TWAG and all othersinvolved in the translation andpublication of the pamphlet are

named as defendants. Nestl citesfour reasons for the suit:

The Title of the pamphlet:2. An introductory statement the

Nestl's practices were "unethicaland immoral"3. The allegation that Nestl wasdirectly responsible for the deathsof thousand of babies.

4. The allegation that Nestl


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October: (The Berne Trial) Nestl

offers to settle if TWAG destroysthe remaining copies of thepamphlet, pays for the publicationof the settlement and contributes

money to Third World charities. TWAG refuses the offer.

(The Berne Trial) In contrast to thedecorum normally maintained by parties toa lawsuit in Switzerland, TWAG and theother defendants mount a publicitycampaign with press conferences, privateappeals and mailings.


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November: (The Berne Trial) In a press

conference 2 weeks before the hearingTWAG announces that the purpose of thehearings will be to "examine the activitiesof a Swiss multinational in developing

countries". A spokesperson for the WorldCouncil of Churches appears at the pressconferenceTwo days before the trial, 8manufacturers announce the

formation of the International Councilof Infant Food Industries(ICIFI) isannounced along with a code of ethicsto help infant formula manufacturersself-regulate their marketing and

advertising practices.


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Nestl decides to drop all but the first

libel charge and the hearings begin.

All 17 defendants take the stand againstNestls two representatives. The sheer

volume of the defendants testimony aswell as its emotional and anecdotalcharacter make it clear that Nestl is ontrial as much as are the defendants.

Immediately following the hearings Nestlfinally decides to break its silence andholds a press conference.


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July:(The Berne Trial) The TWAG defendants

are found guilty of libel and ordered to payfines of 300 Swiss Francs. ($150 U.S.)

The judge does not, however, clear Nestl.

He says in his closing statement; "If NestlS.A. wants to be spared the accusations ofimmoral and unethical conduct, it will needto change its advertising practices."The film , Bottle Babies,is produced by Germanfilmmaker Peter Krieg. Itis premiered during the5th assembly of the

World Council of


14/25

First Nestl boycott led by U.S.-based INFACT (Infant FormulaAction Coalition); end to infant-formula promotion demanded.

U.S. Senate hearings (chaired by Edward M.Kennedy) further damage Nestl'sreputation and suggest the need forinternational consensus. Senator Kennedyasks the World Health Organization to"convene an international conference on


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WHO / UNICEF meetingrecommends development ofinternational code for marketingbreast-milk substitutes.INBC (International Nestl Boycott

Committee) and IBFAN(International Baby Food ActionNetwork) are formed.

Though many U.S. church groups join the

boycott, the United Methodist Church (USA)forms The Methodist Task Force (MTF) toinvestigate the issue; recommends againstjoining the boycott.


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WHO adopts an International

Code of Marketing of Breast-milkSubstitutes.The Nestl Coordination Centerfor Nutrition (NCCN) isestablished.February: Nestls top executives fly toDayton, Ohio for a secret meeting with theMethodist Task Force. Following thatmeeting, Nestl announces its' intention to

follow the WHO Code and issues detailedinstructions to marketing personnel. TheNestl Infant Formula Audit Commission(NIFAC), also known as the MuskieCommission, is established to monitorcompany compliance with the WHO Code.


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Chance meeting between NielsChristiansen of the NCCN and DouglasJohnson of INFACT leads to direct Nestl-INFACT talks.

After talks with Nestl, WHO, UNICEF,and Muskie Commission, activist groupsend first boycott.

International Association of Infant FoodManufacturers (IFM) founded, moreinclusive of industry than ICIFI.


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Activists attempt to relaunchNestl boycott, who claimNestl reneged on 1984agreement, receiving little

attention in the U.S..

Nestl Plan of Action for Infant and Young

Child Feeding promises reduction ofdonations, and calls for cooperation ofconcerned parties


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Muskie Commission

decides it has fulfilled itsmandate and dissolvesitself.

WHO and UNICEF startthe "Baby-FriendlyHospital Initiative"IFM agrees to cooperation aimed at ending

infant-formula donations to maternity wardsand hospitals in developing countries by theend of 1992.


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WHO and UNICEF announce actions taken

in most developing countries to endinfant-formula donations.

Critics publish Breaking the

Rules 1994, a report onalleged violations of the WHOCode by each manufacturer.

Nestl investigates andclaims that most charges areunfounded or alreadycorrected.


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UNICEF criticizes Church of England's

decision to end boycott.

Carol Bellamy becomes UNICEF executive

director and recommends minimizingassociation with members of IFM.

A new activist coalition, IGBM, is formed.Nestle stop providing health institutions with freesupply of infant formula in many parts of the

world, this practice remains in some regions, such

as the Middle East, in response to government

requests for such free supplies


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IGBM publishes "Cracking the

Code," allegations againstmanufacturers and is praised byUNICEF.

July:International Pediatric

Association adopts a policy ofcordial relations withmanufacturers.UNICEF criticizes this decision.

January:IBFAN issues The Code Handbook,declaring any food fed to a child before agetwo to be a "breast milk substitute.".

October:Nestl CEO Peter Brabeck

meets with UNICEF executive directorCarol Bellamy.


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January: WHO proposes new process to

resolve differences over code implementationand foster implementation of WHOrecommendations by countries.

April:UN expresses concern about the

transmission of H.I.V., the AIDS virus, frommothers to babies through breast feeding.

July:Gro Harlem Brundtland takes office as

director general of WHO take personalresponsibility for WHO process to resolveoutstanding differences over codeimplementation.

N Consultation on young child feeding to be held.


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2002

WHA Resolution Number 55/15 statesthat :As a global public healthrecommendation, infants should beexclusively breastfed for the first six monthsof life to achieve optimal growth,

Nestl has unilaterally taken the decision to changethe backing of all its infant cereals across all marketsto start from 6 months

Nestle revised its internal Nestle instructions toNestle Employees

2004


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In line therefore with the WHO Code article 5.7 as

well as the WHA resolution article 47.5 of 1994

regarding the donation of free or subsidized

supplies of breast milk substitutes in any part of

health care systems, Nestl has unilaterally takenthe decision to stop this practice across all markets

as of the 1st of January 2005

2005

Nestle issued a new System controlling the

marketing of breast milk substitute calledNESTLECODE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMThat includeNestle polices for marketing of breast milk

substitutes per country according to WHO

recommendations& national regulations.

2004

If Controversy

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