"Thank you for contacting us with your concerns. As a national broadcaster and online property, NBC and NBCi present a wide variety of programs, opinions and products in their programming, online content and advertisements. While both companies are sensitive to the concerns expressed by those opposed to the products of some of our advertising clients, we believe these issues have been satisfactorily addressed in this case by Nestlé.  Nestlé is committed to providing an alternate prize of equal or greater value in the event the winner of the New Mom Makeover is a mother who has chosen to breastfeed exclusively, and the sweepstakes rules clearly communicate the message that breast milk is the ideal food for babies.

NBC and NBCi’s co-sponsorship of "The New Mom Makeover" is not an endorsement of baby formula as a substitute for mother's milk.  It is the belief of NBC, NBCi and Nestlé that it is in the best interest of parents and babies for the infant feeding decision to be made through a partnership between informed parents and health professionals. 

Nestlé also thanks you for your email expressing your interest in the welfare of infants in the developing world.  Nestlé’s commitment to infant nutrition began in 1867, when Henri Nestlé developed and introduced a special mixture of nutritious, natural ingredients for mothers who couldn't breastfeed.  Henri Nestlé maintained that a mother's breast milk is best for her baby.  This foundation remains a core belief at Nestlé today.

Nestlé's marketing principles and practices throughout the world comply with the laws of every country in which it does business.  Nestlé encourages mothers to breastfeed as long as possible, with consideration for their life circumstances.  If a mother chooses not to breastfeed, formula is the best alternative to breast milk.

The best-known infant formula marketing guidelines are the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes developed by the World Health Organization in 1981, known as the WHO Code.  For information about how Nestlé complies with the WHO Code in developing countries and in other countries where the code is law, visit www.babymilk.Nestlé.com or contact the Nestlé Baby Nutrition Center at 1-800-811-7500.

Although the United States is not a signatory to the WHO Code, Nestlé abides by the aim of the Code and their advertising states that breast milk is best."

At 07:15 PM 3/6/2001 -0500, you wrote:


  Give a mom a break won't you?
   
  talk about the media creating expectations that are totally unrealistic...
   
  New moms don't need a makeover and 3 months of artificial baby food, they should be nursing their babies with the best food on earth, custom made baby milk from mother's breast, and when they aren't doing that they should be resting not worrying about whether they are beautiful enough, or their nails are perfect, etc. etc. etc.
   
  You should be ashamed of yourselves.  -- Boy has NBC been manipulated by Nestle/Carnation in what somebody thought was a neat idea -- NOT.
   
  Lisa Dugan
  Deptford, NJ

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