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.