I'm so disgusted, and thought l800 of my closest friends would understand ..
This was on the front page of our local newspaper yesterday:

"Infant food manufacturers have successfully lobbied the Government to
temporarily suspend a new regulation which compelled them to label their
products with relevant ingredients, levels and specific expiry dates from May.

"The Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr Timothy Stamps, yesterday told
a Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce organized breakfast meeting of
members of the Food Manufacturers Association and Parliamentarians that the
Government would postpone implementation of the proposed regulations until
after the World Health Assemply in Geneva, Switzerland, later in May where
further consultations would be made.

"The Assemply will re-consider international code guidelines on
breastfeeding when compared with other substitute feeds.

"Manufacturers had complained that the proposed Breast Milk Substitutes and
Infant Nutrition Regulations were too wide and lacked a clear cut-off point
between breast milk and complementary weaning foods.

"They also complained that the regulations imposed a total ban on
advertising, information and sales promotion of the infant foods.

"Dr Stamps said restrictions on advertising and total prohib ition of sales
promotion would also be reviewed.  Wording and print size of warnings on
products would also be looked at.

"Dairy manufacturers strongly objected to the use of the word "unfit" on a
wholesome food.  They instead propsoed the term "not for baby feeding"
rather than having ordinary milk products described as unfit for babies.

"Also at the centre of controversy was the definition of an infant which
medical experts say is a baby under 12 months.  The local Infant Nutrition
Act defines an infant as a child up to seven years.

"'The reguations are not supportive to economic growth and development.
They also do not support trade liberalisation and foreign investment.  They
have serious trade implications' the manufacturers said in their lobby
document to Parliamentarians.

"One of the major manufacturers of infant formula, Nestle, had threatened to
pull out investment in Zimbabwe, arguing that it would not be economically
viable for the company to continue operating under such regulations.

"Managing director of Nestle Zimbabwe Mr Chris Cary said if the proposed
regulations were implemented sales and future investments of the company
would be negatively affected.

"'We think it is premature for Zimbabwe to have such a piece of
legislation', the food manufacturers said.

"They also argued that regulations should take into account the call for
regional harmonisation of standards and regulations."


This piece of legislation has been in draft form since 1986!  It was finally
gazetted in August last year.  To have it suspended before it has even come
into effect is just too much.  And to top it all, our Minister of Health and
Child Welfare, Dr Timothy Stamps, is a signatory to the Innocenti Declaration.

Pamela Morrison IBCLC, weeping and gnashing teeth in Zimbabwe!