Committed to the WHO Code and Ethical, Unambiguous, Transparent Marketing
APIYCNA and our members are committed to protecting the health and well-being of infants and young children and comply with the aims and principles of the World Health Organisation’s International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (WHO Code) and local market regulations. The local regulations are robust, long established and often exceed the aims and principles of the WHO Code.
APIYCNA is committed to the ethical and responsible marketing in all forms, which includes digital marketing, consumer data protection and privacy.. The adoption of such best practices is to contribute to safe and adequate nutrition for infants by supporting and protecting breastfeeding.
To this end, member companies do not advertise breast milk substitutes directly to consumers even as they provide safe, high quality and wholesome products that are tailored to meet the nutritional needs of infants and young children. Several member companies subscribe to the FTSE4Good Index, which has a specific reference to the marketing of breast milk substitutes, and has been drafted in accordance with the principles of the WHO Code. In addition, several members have also established clear internal marketing policies and procedures and selected companies also have their practices audited independently. When marketing follow-up formula and growing-up milk, members agree that it needs to be ethical, unambiguous and done transparently. They believe that the marketing of formula should also contribute to the provision of safe and adequate nutrition for infants by ensuring the proper use of formula, when necessary, on the basis of providing appropriate education and adequate information.
APIYCNA recognizes that the right nutrition has a critical impact on a child’s growth and development. The WHO recognizes that breast-milk substitutes are the best available nutritional alternative when breastmilk is not possible. In these circumstances, parents and caregivers should have the right to access scientific, and evidence-based information on alternative feeding to make well-informed decisions.
APIYCNA and our members aim to ensure that the infant and young child nutrition industry adopts standards that are reflective of the requirements of each country where we operate, through collective action. We recognize that not all industry players have always been compliant with these marketing codes.
APIYCNA is committed to enforcing higher marketing standards and member companies are fully committed to ethical marketing practices and we encourage all companies, whether member companies or not, to observe the same standards of marketing practices.
Useful links and resources:
WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes
Indonesia Government Regulation no. 33, Year 2012 on “Exclusive Breastfeeding”
APPNIA Industry Code (Indonesia)
Malaysia Code of Ethics for the Marketing of Infant Foods and Related Products
Executive Order No. 51, Philippine Milk Code
Sale of Infant Foods Ethics Committee Singapore (SIFECS) Code of Ethics
Nutritional Food Group Code of Marketing Practice for Breast Milk Substitutes (Vietnam)