Formula milk row 30 years old
Tuesday July 27th, 2010
Efforts to create a global marketing code for formula milk have spent 30 years stuck in controversy, an expert claims today.
An "unrelenting series of disputes" has prevented effective implementation of the code, agreed at the World Health Assembly in 1981, according to retired nutritionist Professor Stewart Forsyth, formerly based with the NHS in Tayside, Scotland.
His comments came days after the National Childbirth Trust accused manufacturers of influencing GCSE exam boards following the publication of a series of bizarre questions in a chemistry paper.
Professor Forsyth's analysis is published on-line today in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
He calls for an ombudsman or independent body to arbitrate on disputes about the code.
He writes: "There has been an unrelenting series of disputes, predominantly relating to alleged violations of the code, which have provoked high profile acrimonious exchanges, boycotts, and legal proceedings.
"The controversy that has bedevilled the code for 30 years is almost entirely limited to matters of interpretation and compliance.
"However, because these issues have been so protracted it has led to an atmosphere of mistrust that has now become embedded between key agencies."
Arch Dis Child 2010; doi 10.1136/adc.2010.187294
Tags: Child Health | Childbirth and Pregnancy | Diet & Food | Nursing & Midwifery | UK News | Women’s Health & Gynaecology
Printer friendly page