Formula milk 'not against breast-feeding'
Formula milk 'not against breast-feeding'
Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Infant formula producers denied allegations on Wednesday that
they had exploited breast-feeding experts to promote their
products.
"Instead of taking advantage of these experts to promote our
products, we fully support the campaign for exclusive breast-
feeding," Cecep Fathoni, the secretary-general of the Association
of Baby Food Producers (APMB), said.
Cecep said that if infant formula producers invited experts or
prominent figures in the breast-feeding campaign to speak at any
seminar, it was part of their efforts to help the campaign
succeed.
According to a recommendation from the World Health
Organization (WHO), babies should be breast-fed from birth to
four months old at least, but Indonesia has yet to adopt the
recommendation.
Breast-feeding babies in their early months is crucial as it
gives them antibodies to fight childhood illness and other common
diseases.
"Don't interpret the invitation as a form of exploitation
because our objective is the same -- supporting the breast-
feeding campaign," Cecep told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
Cecep made the remarks after consumer protection activists
accused the infant formula producers of approaching experts as
part of a hidden campaign to promote their products.
The accusation was made due to a declining rate in exclusive
breast-feeding in Indonesia following aggressive marketing of
infant formula products in hospitals and other health care
facilities.
This is against the International Code of Marketing Breast
Milk Substitute from the World Health Organization and is in
violation of government regulations, the activists said.
Indah Suksmaningsih, the chairwoman of the Indonesian
Consumers Foundation (YLKI), said the infant formula producers
might have run out of ideas for promoting their products.
"We suspect that they are initiating a new strategy to promote
their products," Indah said at a media briefing at St. Carolus
Hospital on Monday.
Indah's comments were made in response to a complaint made by
Utami Roesli, a physician at St. Carolus Hospital and an active
campaigner of exclusive breast-feeding, about an advertisement in
a mother-child health care tabloid which said she was scheduled
to appear at a seminar on breast-feeding that was sponsored by an
infant formula producer.
As a supporter of the breast-feeding campaign, she refuses to
appear at seminars sponsored by infant formula producers.
St. Carolus Hospital has also refused to distribute infant
formula to new mothers staying at the hospital.
"Not one infant formula producer can approach us. The
advertisement makes it look as if we have softened our stance and
can be bought," Utami said.