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http://www.nutraingredients.com/content/view/print/646768
One time chance to stop misleading information to parents: Vote in EU Parliament on 14th June
(COM(2011)0353 – C7-0169/2011 – 2011/0156(COD))
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
Rapporteur: Frédérique Ries
CLICK HERE for the REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on food intended for infants and young children and on food for special medical purposes
Click here for the updated Report
On Thursday morning, 14th June, there will be an important opportunity to protect infant and young child health in Europe and globally. European Parliamentarians (MEPs) will vote in Strasbourg (France) on a series of amendments to the above Commission proposal.
If you agree and have a spare 5 minutes PLEASE write a short letter (from yourself or your organisation) to urge your MEP TO SUPPORT AMENDMENTS 83 and 86 to this proposal. (Amendments 86 and 85 specifically permit Member States to prohibit follow-on milk advertising so they would not have to fight for this right. Amendment 83 correctly interprets WHO advice on pre-term babies. Please ask MEPs to vote AGAINST Amendment 13 – which is simply wrong.
See below for links to MEPs, other key amendments, a draft letter, etc :
We are broadly in favour of the proposal which aims to simplify baby food regulations and limit the number of ‘targeted’ foods. We also support the majority of MEP amendments which call for additional safety and marketing controls, independent research, the precautionary principle, transparency, greater accountability and democratic oversight and an EFSA evaluation of so called “growing-up” and toddler” milks which we consider to be completely unnecessary.
WHO and UNICEF and the UK Food Standards Agency agree that follow-on milks are not necessary. The UN recommendations go further and call for no promotion of these products, which were invented by the baby food industry to get round marketing restrictions. In Ireland, the UK and many EU countries advertising and promotion for these products is unrestricted and widespread – on buses, shopping centres and TV. For an example of the SMA Roadshow buses see:
http://www.babymilkaction.org/archives/650
There is clear evidence that parents are misled and confused about the value of follow-on formula by the extensive advertising that inevitably promotes the whole range of products for babies. Indeed a MORI survey commissioned by the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) and UNICEF UK showed that:
• almost two-thirds of UK parents said they had seen adverts for infant formula, although this has been banned in the UK for many years
• one third of parents believe that the adverts gave the impression that formula was ‘as good as’ or ‘better than’ breastmilk.
If you agree that this promotion should stop please do take a moment to write a short note to your MEP. This chance is unlikely to come round again soon.
Thank you
Please support Amendment 86 which says:
“Advertising of infant formulae and follow-on formulae shall be restricted to publications specialising in baby care and scientific publications and shall contain only information of a scientific and factual nature. Member States may further restrict or prohibit such advertising. The advertising of infant formulae and follow-on formulae shall be such that it enables consumers to make a clear distinction between infant formulae and follow-on formulae and avoids any risk of confusion between the above mentioned categories of products.”
Please support Amendment No 83 -which correctly cites the WHO advice on formulas for low-birth weight babies):
“According to the WHO recommendations, low-birth weight infants should be fed their mother’s own milk. Nonetheless, a small proportion of low birth-weight infants and pre-term infants may have special nutritional requirements which cannot always be met by the mother’s own milk or standard infant formulae. Food for such infants should comply with rules applicable to food for special medical purposes, when this kind of food is chosen as the most appropriate formula, taking into account the specific medical situation of the infant. Formula intended for low birth weight or pre-term infants should in any event comply with the requirements of Directive 2006/141/EC.”
Justification
“Protecting breastfeeding in this vulnerable group of infants is particularly important. The percentage of low birth-weight and pre-term infants that might be considered to require supplements of vitamins and minerals in addition to mother’s milk, principally the ones with a very low birth weight, is very small (e.g. the number of infants below 1500g is 1% of all UK births). If the formulation of the ENVI report remains unchanged, it might be interpreted as if low birth-weight and pre-term infants would generally or often need special formula. This is not the case, and WHO clearly recommends to feed low-birth weight infants mother’s own milk.
Please discourage support for Amendment 13 which is incorrect and says: (16a) “According to the WHO recommendations, low-birth weight infants should be fed their mother’s own milk. Nonetheless, low birth-weight infants and pre-term infants often have special nutritional requirements which cannot be met by the mother’s own milk or standard infant formulae. …….
For examples of follow-on milk promotion follow these links:
Nestlé weakens its breastmilk substitutes marketing policy
http://www.babyfeedinglawgroup.org.uk/reports/bflgreports
For the voting list CLICK HERE
There are many other good amendments that call for independent research and the precautionary principle to be used in decisions – please support the following.
No 85 – We want MEPs to vote for this amendment, (which allows Member States to ban the advertising of baby foods) if Amendment 86 does not get through.
No 84 – calling for stricter rules on pesticides in the production of food for infants and young children because they are especially sensitive to endocrine disruptors or other toxic substances.
14, 57 requiring peer-reviewed and independently evaluated evidence
54 national competent authorities to ensure an adequate system of oversight
58 products shall not imply prevention, treatment or cure of human disease
59 infant formula and follow-on formula labels shall not include pictures of infants, nor other pictures or text which may idealise
68 calls for post- market monitoring
76 calls for more transparency
81 calls for an assessment by EFSA of milks for older babies (the so-called ‘growing up’ and ‘toddler’ milks. “The Commission shall, after consulting the European Food Safety Authority, submit a report to the European Parliament and to the Council assessing the need for special provisions regarding the composition and labelling of milks intended for young children between one and three years. This report shall consider the nutritional needs, the pattern of consumption, the nutritional intake and the levels of exposure to contaminants and pesticides of these young children. The report shall also consider whether these milks have any nutritional benefits when compared to a normal diet for a child who is being weaned. In the light of the conclusions of that report, the Commission shall either:….
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&reference=A7-2012-0059&language=EN&mode=XML
To find your MEP follow this link: http://www.writetothem.com/
Use this link to find the MEPs on the Interest Group on Maternal and Neonatal Health in the European Parliament http://www.efcni.org/index.php?id=121
Suggested text for your letter:
(COM(2011)0353 – C7-0169/2011 – 2011/0156(COD))
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
Rapporteur: Frédérique Ries