The impact of amended controls on the advertising of infant formula in the UK: findings from a before and after study

Abstract

To assist in the promotion of breastfeeding, most European governments control the labelling, advertising and promotion of infant formula products. In the UK, regulations prohibit the advertising of infant formula, but permit the advertising of follow-on formula to the general public. There is some evidence that the promotion of follow-on formula can be mistaken for the promotion of infant formula. Following a European Union directive, modified regulations were introduced in the UK in 2007. This article reports on research funded by the Food Standards Agency and the Department of Health that assessed the impact of the modifications by examining the nature of formula advertising before and after the new controls were introduced. The findings show that the advertising changed in line with the regulations. There were also signs in the data of a shift in the promotional strategies of formula manufacturers in the later period towards higher frequency and more widely distributed advertising. This advertising contained a greater emphasis on brands. The article suggests therefore that although regulatory controls might succeed at one level, they may fail at another and concludes with a call for further research into the relationships between formula advertising content, perceptions of advertising and infant feeding practices.

Keywords:

• infant formula advertising
• regulation
• content analysis

Acknowledgements

The research reported in this article was supported by the UK Government Food Standards Agency and the Department of Health.

Notes

^1. The regulations allow advertisements to be placed in publications specialising in baby care which are distributed only through the healthcare system; in scientific publications or publications that are used to advertise to the trade.

^2. Directive 2006/141/EC.

^3. The new controls included stricter rules on the labelling of all types of formula clarifying that follow-on formula should only be used by infants from 6 months old; allowing only a small number of approved health and nutrition claims to be displayed on infant formula milk packaging; restrictions preventing infant formula being advertised directly to parents; new rules on how follow-on formula and infant formula are advertised so that there is no confusion between the two products and new guidance for industry and regulators concerning the application of these new rules.

^4. Ebiquity maintains a continuously updated archive of advertising and media output in several countries (‘60 markets’ according to their website http://www.ebiquity.com/). Its clients include marketing companies, manufacturers and retailers who use the archive to monitor the placement and frequency of advertising and to track media coverage of commercial brands and products.

^5. A detailed report on all advertising analysed in the research is available from the authors.

^6. See, for example the recent statement on behalf of the National Childbirth Trust summarising the issues and making the case for a ban. Available from: http://www.nct.org.uk/sites/default/files/related_documents/2BF7RegulationsonInfantFormula.pdf [Accessed 3 July 2012].