Here in Canada, I recently sent out an email on behalf of Elisabeth Sterken
to the 500+ Canadians in the Moms For Milk Breastfeeding Network database.
INFACT was looking for examples of misleading advertising used by Mead
Johnson in promoting their Enfamil A+ formula.  Many people responded and
provided examples and advertising materials.  The following is a message
from Elisabeth Sterken, Director of INFACT Canada.      Janice Reynolds

Dear all,

Thanks to all of who submitted the misleading claims made by Mead Johnson
for their fat altered EnfamilA+.

Last Thursday I took the examples to a meeting with representatives from
Health Canada and from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Mead Johnson was
also present at the meeting. Thanks to your examples and comments, I was
able to give a detailed "show and tell" about the pervasiveness of these
advertisements across Canada and how they mislead parents into thinking the
product improves mental outcomes and is like breastmilk.

The result was that Health Canada expressed concern about these promotions
and promised to investigate as they are "not permitted". There was no
comment from the representative of Mead Johnson.

Secondly I have also included these examples into our comment for the Code
Committee on Food Labelling, where the criteria for health and nutrition
claims are being set for the global trade in foods. Thus far we have been
able to get a prohibition on these claims in the documents, however needless
to say, the associations representing the interests of the infant foods
industries are attempting to have them removed.  Together with other IBFAN
partners, I will be attending the Codex  meetings on labelling early May in
Ottawa to protect this position.

Canada's government is supporting the position to prohibit health claims for
foods for infants and young children at the Codex meeting. You may want to
comment to the Codex Contact Point for Canada to express your support for
this position. You can contact Ron Burke, Director, Bureau of Food
Regulatory International and Interagency Affairs, Health Canada at
[log in to unmask]

Please continue to send these violations to INFACT Canada, so we can
continue our lobby for stronger monitoring and sanctions for the industry
when they commit these infractions to the Food and Drug regulations!

Elisabeth Sterken
Director INFACT Canada/IBFAN North America
Tel: 416 595-9819
Fax: 416 591-9355

www.infactcanada.ca
Recipients of the Right Livelihood Award 1998

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