NABA has mentioned this problem in the new Code monitoring report, "Still Selling Out Mothers and Babies." The reason we see infant formula behind check out counters or locked up in grocery stores is due to the enormous amount of retail theft in the US. $30 billion in retail theft occurs every year, with $7 billion of that being infant formula. This stolen formula shows up on eBay, is repackaged and sold to small grocery stores, is sold at flea markets, or is used to cut drugs. Very little of it is stolen by mothers who can't afford it.?Profits from formula theft rings have been traced to terrorist organizations. Some of the stolen?cans have had their labels changed, have had the expiration dates tampered with, and have been mishandled, posing a risk to the infants who eventually consume it. Few mothers check the integrity of the can and label or look at the expiration date. Many stores sell expired formula.

Marketing of infant formula is not regulated in the US. The closest thing we have to a monitoring agency is the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). They are in charge of overseeing false and misleading advertising. Any deceptive advertising of infant formula?that we see should be reported to the FTC at www.ftc.gov. One of the ways we can get the attention of this agency is to flood it with reports of false and misleading advertising that deceives mothers into purchasing the product.

Also, hospitals do not sell or give patient names to formula companies. This is prohibited by HIPPA regulations. We used to see this being done by hospitals and pediatric offices. Some pediatric and obstetric offices have sign up sheets for mothers to join formula clubs.

If we want to reign in formula marketing then we must start using the system. Each time we see a piece of formula marketing that is false or misleading, consider reporting it to the FTC. Challenge the formula salesperson to back up their claims with non company funded research. Help mothers understand that there is very little evidence to show that any new ingredient in infant formula will improve her baby's eyesight, enhance the?immune system, or have any benefit on the infant's cognitive or motor development.

Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Weston, MA

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