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Critics say that the initiative, working in Tesco’s flagship retailer and set to be rolled out shortly, is a backward step and paying homage to the “milk nurses” scandal of the Seventies, the place system trade salespeople dressed as nurses and promoted system milk to oldsters.
One midwife employed by Danone stop the pilot final month on the Tesco retailer in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, telling The BMJ she could not be related to an “unethical” service.
“Because of the history, I just don’t want to be associated with formula companies breaking the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes. It’s unethical. That was the line I couldn’t cross—women trust me because I am a midwife,” she instructed The BMJ.
The code, adopted by the World Well being Group and Unicef in 1981, and as legislation in additional than 100 nations, states that “marketing personnel” ought to keep away from direct or oblique contact with “pregnant women or with mothers of infants and young children.” UK legislation covers some however not all of the provisions of the code.
A spokesperson for Danone UK & Eire stated it solely supposed to offer “impartial, nutritional expertise,” that the branded uniforms have been non-compulsory, and it was pleased to “take on board feedback.” The corporate added, “We adhere fully to the WHO Code as implemented in UK regulations, and this trial is not in breach of that.”
A Tesco spokesperson defined that the pilot was supposed to supply clients “additional support.” They stated, “This complements the professional advice available from our pharmacists in-store. We comply with the UK Regulations governing infant and follow-on formula that cover some parts of the WHO Code.”
However Vicky Sibson, director of First Steps Diet Belief, a charity that promotes wholesome consuming in kids as much as 5 years, stated that Danone was utilizing a tried and examined advertising tactic.
“They’re not breaking UK laws, but they do break the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk substitutes, which clearly advises against marketing personnel seeking direct or indirect contact with pregnant women or mothers. The issue is that UK laws fall short of what they should be. Danone is using its baby club name and logo to promote its service, and so indirectly promoting its products,” she instructed The BMJ.
Sibson known as on Tesco to finish its partnership with Danone. “What we know is that most women in the UK want to breastfeed in some ways and this is an example where they undermine women’s self-efficacy to breastfeed. It is at odds with Tesco’s objectives around improving the healthfulness of their retail offer. It is time they took a better look at the baby food aisle.”
Robert Boyle at Imperial School London Healthcare NHS Belief, stated system firms had been behaving this fashion for hundreds of years. He challenged Tesco to maintain up the clinics “but remove Danone from the picture and allow midwives to use independent NHS information.”
The midwife who was concerned within the pilot had no regrets about strolling away from the job. “The bottom line is we’re making Danone look good, we’re increasing their revenue and product likability, when actually that’s not our role. As midwives, we should protect women and advocate for them.”
Extra data:
Danone’s use of midwives to offer branded toddler feeding recommendation in grocery store sparks anger, The BMJ (2025). DOI: 10.1136/bmj.q2874
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British Medical Journal
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Tesco’s new toddler feeding service attracts criticism for moral considerations (2025, January 8)
retrieved 8 January 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2025-01-tesco-infant-criticism-ethical.html
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