LANGUAGE:
IBFAN – International Baby Food Action Network
Code monitoring
LOOK WHAT THEY ARE STILL DOING
A SUMMARY REPORT ON THE MONITORING OF DIGITAL MARKETING OF PRODUCTS THAT INTERFERE ON BREASTFEEDING
The main objective of this work was to document, in an updated, fast, and
global way, the presence on the internet of various forms of commercial
promotions of products that interfere with the practice of breastfeeding and
that are prohibited by the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk
Substitutes. To this end, IBFAN members from different regions of the world
carried out a quick and simultaneous monitoring in one month of these
unethical promotional practices, covering the period from December 13,
2024, to January 12, 2025.
From their computers or mobile devices, members searched for violations
online in the following product categories:
- Commercial infant formula up to six months
- Commercial infant formula from six months to one year
- Commercial infant formula with special needs
- Bottles
- Teats
- Complementary foods
Upon finding a violation, a screenshot was taken for evidence and the record
was entered into a Google form developed by IBFAN Brazil, available in four
languages: Portuguese, Spanish, English, and French.
RESULTS
Participating Countries
This International Monitoring involved the participation of 31 countries, as
shown in the figure below:
Responsible:
IBFAN LAC
Marina Rea
(Coordination IBFAN Brasil)
Clavel Sanchez
(IBFAN República Dominicana)
Maria Inês Couto Oliveira
(IBFAN Brasil)
Cíntia Erbert
(IBFAN Brasil)
Márcia C. Guerreiro dos Reis
(IBFAN Brasil)
Lucélia Fernandes
(IBFAN Brasil)
María de los Angeles Acosta Faranda
(IBFAN Paraguay)
Patricia Barrios Skrok
(IBFAN Argentina)
Colaboration:
Ana Marcela Gómez Medina
Ana María Lozano
Ana Parrilla
Ana Vasquez
Andrea Hernández
Anna Koronkiewicz-Wiórek
Carmen Gutierrez
Carolina Guerrero León
Claudia Cristina Sánchez
Danielle Addams
Dr JP Dadhich
Elisabeth Sterken
Eunice Lample
Geraldine Blanco
Ingrid Broitman Tropper
Iyari Vega Cruz
Janelle Maree
Joyanne Santangelo
Kenny García
Kerry Marshall-Ryan
Lilian Rocha
Luis Américo Lara
Luz Valencia
Ma. Ines Av. Fernandez
Magdalena Whoolery
Maria del Carmen Ibarra
María Laura Vega Rodríguez
Marife Joven-Dia
Marta Trejos
Maryse Arendt
Max Ricardo Ramirez
Mirjana Mate Ello
Mirta Elena Machuca
Mishu Reyes
Nair Carrasco
Ninoska Cruz
Nupur Bidla
Paloma Lerma Bergua
Paola Gaete
Patti Rundall
Rocio Caicedo
Rosie Dodds
Rubén Orjuela Agudelo
Sonia Chaves Quiros
Utta Reich-Schottky
Vilma Chavez
More About Monitoring
WHO discusses the regulation of digital marketing of breastmilk substitutes at the 156th Executive Board Meeting
January 31, 2025
WHO Member States call for the regulation of Digital marketing of baby foods
February 11, 2025
