Katie you wrote,

"When the infant formula companies
focus their efforts on competing with one another, they are forthright
in their intent and message ("Buy our baby formula. It's healthier than
the other brand for reasons X, Y, and Z.") But when the industry
competes with its *real* market competitor, breastfeeding, these
companies are disingenuous."

I am not sure I understand.  Are the marketing messages between particular
infant formula companies forthright? I have never seen an ad by a particular
infant formula company that compares itself against another infant formula.  I
don't watch alot of TV so I may have missed that media.  But in print media, I
have never read an ad by an infant formula company that specifically states
that their product is better than another infant formula company's.  If you could
point me in the direction of the ads you have seen where this is done, I'd
like to see them.

Why would a company clearly state that they want to put the competitor out of
business or as in the infant formula industry want breastfeeding to disappear
as a relic of our primitive past?  In my opinion the tactics they use are
common market place tactics.  The major difference that appears to me to be very
important and not to be underestimated is that the infant formula companies
have banded together in an alliance.  It is called the International Formula
Council (used to be the Infant Formula Council) and is located in Atlanta,
Georgia. Why they are located in Atlanta is ground for some debate in my head--close
proximity to the CDC or just a common location for huge corporate offices?

Maybe it is because this industry doesn't seem to have true competition
between the various companies.  What we seem to be dealing with is one huge
monopoly--they have already been in trouble for price fixing in regard to the WIC
program.  Dependent on your political beliefs, you may believe that government
should step in and regulate industry or you may believe in the free market
system (no regulation).  My understanding is that the head of the Department of
Health is a political appointment.  Thus the Presidential elections effects a
broad-range of organizations.  I believe that how we vote in the upcoming
Presidential elections will effect whether or not the infant formula industry will be
more firmly regulated.  Although I also think that the head of the Department
of Health should not be a political appointment.

It is relatively useless to blame the infant formula industry.  What we need
to hold accountable is decisions that are made that make it an "easy street"
for this industry.  That means that the head of the US Health Department needs
to be held accountable for the changes made to these ads.

How do you fight industries that makes billions of dollars?  I think we can
do so by individually standing up and speaking out in our hometowns (write
letters to the editor--I am known for my comments on breastfeeding to my local
paper) and our places of employment.  If we can't have a media campaign on the
risks of infant formula, then lets each of us start talking about the risks of
infant formula in our home towns and places of employment.  Have the references
available.  I remember buying 100 copies of Marsha Walker's paper on the
"risks" from ILCA and giving them out to administrators, docs, and mothers.  Send
the risks to your Congressmen and ask them if they support a media campaign on
the risks of infant formula.  I agree with Virginia, don't wait for someone
else to step forward, just take one small step forward and write a letter.
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC






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