Chinese television has carried a 20-minute report on the way baby food companies are pushing their products and undermining breastfeeding.

They looked at the situation in China, but the main focus is on the Philippines, where the pharmaceutical companies have taken the Ministry of Health to court to have marketing regulations struck down. These were suspended following pressure from the US Chamber of Commerce on the President.

According to the World Health Organisation, 16,000 infants die in the Philippines every year due to inappropriate feeding.

The Supreme Court initially rejected an attempt from the pharmaceutical companies to have the law suspended, but reversed this four days after the US Chamber of Commerce wrote to President Arroyo calling on her to intervene and threatening investment in the country.

Links to the film and background information at:
 http://boycottnestle.blogspot.com/2007/07/china-tv.html

Nestlé has made much of the fact it is not a member of the pharmaceutical association and so no part of the legal action. However, it has opposed aspects of the regulations and its practices were exposed in a film produced by UNICEF Philippines. We have just learned that Nestlé has attacked UNICEF over the film. This adds to action taken by an industry association Nestlé is part of, which tried to get the UNICEF representative in the Philippines sacked for media comments about the need to protect infant and mothers. The film and further information are available via:
 http://boycottnestle.blogspot.com/2007/07/nestle-war-philippines.html