The NHC and NDRC have recently issued the Breastfeeding Promotion Action Plan (2021 - 2025), where the goal is that the allocation rate of maternal and infant facilities in public places will reach more than 80% and the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in China within 6 months will each more than 50%. At the same time, strict regulations are also imposed on the promotion of milk powder and other milk substitute products.
According to the reports of the CDRF and CCA, the factors such as the promotion and use of milk substitutes have significantly increased the possibility of mothers adding milk powder to their children, which is not conducive to the promotion of breastfeeding. China issued the Administrative Measures for the Sales of Breast Milk Substitutes in 1995, and the Technical Guidelines for The Formula Registration Labeling Standardization of Infant and Young Children Formula Milk Powder Products (Trial) was issued in 2017, where "human emulsification", "breast emulsification" or other similar expressions are explicitly banned in the infant milk powder labeling.
Most infant and young children milk powder in the online and offline markets do not promote "breast emulsification", and some products also remind of the benefits of breastfeeding on the website homepage. However, there are also a few milk powder products that advertise the word "like mom's".
The sales of milk substitute products are accused of affecting breastfeeding
The WHO recommends that infants and young children in the first 6 months of life should insist on exclusive breastfeeding, and then continue to breastfeed with appropriate supplementary foods added until they are 2 years old or longer. However, due to many factors, many infant and young children are not optimally fed.
In addition to providing environmental support for breastfeeding, the Breastfeeding Promotion Action Plan (2021-2025) also makes strict regulations on the label, identification, instructions, and promotion of milk powder and other milk substitute products, such as prohibiting the media or public places publishing advertisements of infant milk products, beverages and other foods claiming to replace breast milk. Breast milk substitutes are not allowed to promote to medical institutions, and daily check for the package, labeling and instructions of infant formulas is strengthened.
In fact, in view of the impact of milk substitute products on breastfeeding rate, according to the Survey Report on China Breastfeeding Influencing Factors issued by the CDFR in February 2019, the exclusive breastfeeding rate of infants in China within 6 months is 29.2%, which is far below the world average of 43% and the average of 37% in low- and middle-income countries. Factors such as the promotion of milk substitute products have significantly increased the possibility of mothers adding milk powder to their children.
According to the 2018 Survey Report on Breastmilk Substitute Promotion and Sale Behaviors issued by the CCA in March 2019, among the 26-45-year-old female consumers surveyed, nearly half of the mothers choose breastfeeding, the combined feeding method "breast milk + formula milk powder" has increased by 7.23% compared to 10 years ago. "Short maternity leave or busy work" and "lack of breast milk" are the two main factors affecting breastfeeding rate, accounting for 56.6% and 49.83% respectively.
New management measures on milk substitute products may be released
In order to protect and promote breastfeeding, the World Health Assembly passed the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes as early as 1981. China also issued the Administrative Measures for the Sales of Breast-milk Substitutes in 1995, stipulating that no pictures of babies are allowed to be printed on product package, and no "human emulsification", "breast emulsification" or similar terms is allowed to be used.
In 2004, the former Ministry of Health issued the Resolutely Stop the Illegal Promotion of Breast Milk Substitutes on the chaotic promotion of milk substitute products. The document pointed out that some companies used various methods to advertise infant milk powder. Some product labels clearly stated the words similar to or close to breast milk. Sales staff promoted breast milk substitutes in hospitals or supermarkets. Some hospital obstetric departments found illegal sales and publicity activities of milk powder, milk bottles and milk replacers by various methods.
As the supporting program of the "most stringent in history" Administration Measures on Formula Registration of Infant and Young Children Formula Milk Powder, in May 2017, the former CFDA issued the Technical Guidelines for The Formula Registration Labeling Standardization of Infant and Young Children Formula Milk Powder Products (Trial), prohibiting using images of babies and women and "human emulsification", "breast emulsification" or similar expressions on the label of infant and young children milk powder.
Experts believe that the Breastfeeding Promotion Action Plan (2021-2025) was issued around the general direction of China's encouragement of childbirth. An increase in breastfeeding rate can reduce the financial burden of family on the one hand, and on the other hand can allow children to get better nutrition. Experts predicted that the new version of the management measures for the sales of breastmilk substitutes might be introduced in the past two years. At that time, Stage 1 and Stage 2 formula milk powder would be included in the management scope, and promotion would not be allowed, which would promote the stability of the overall price of infant and young children milk powder.
Source: BJ News
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