STATUS cf the ACT

Item

Title
STATUS cf the ACT
extracted text
SDA-RF-CH-1.37

Statuscftte S'^SAct
4 compilation of violations of the IMS Act

reported by BPNI members between January 1999 - September 2000
S. No. Company

Promotion to

Medium Used

Product

Strategy

IMS Act
Section/Rules
Violated

1.

Nestle

Public

Shopping market
walls

Cerelac (Infant food)

Putting up street posters

Section 3(c) & 7
Rule 789

2.

Nestle

Public

Print: Women’s
magazines

Cerelac (Infant food)

Advertisement in Parenting, Grehshobha,
Meri Saheli, Health & Nutrition and
Grehalaxmi.

Section 3(c) 87
Rule 789

3.

Heinz

Public

Print: Women's
magazines

Farex (Infant food)

Advertisement in Parenting

Section 3(c)& 7
Rule 789

4.

Nestle

Public

Electronic

Cerelac (Infant food)

Commercial advertising during serials,
feature films, sports and commedy shows
in Zee TV/Sony TV/ESPN/Asian Net/DD.

Section 3(c) 87
Rule 789

5.

Heinz

Public

Electronic

Farex (Infant food)

Commercial advertising during serials and
sports in Sony TV/ESPN.

Section 3(c) 87
Rule 789

6.

Nestle

Public

Baby soaps &
powders

Cerelac (Infant food)

Tied sales with JJ as a free gift

Section 3(c), 6 87
Rule 789

7.

Dalmia Dairy

Health Care System Through Reps

Weano Care (Infant
food)

Free samples to medical profession

Section 3(c), 6 87
Rule 789

8.

Wockhardt

Health Care System Through Reps

Dexrice (Infant food)

Free sample/Label incorrect

Section 3(c), 6 87
Rule 789

9.

Wockhardt

Health Care System Through Reps

First Food (Infant food)

Free sample/Label incorrect

Section 3(c), 687

10.

Wockhardt

Health Care System Through Reps

Easum (Infant food)

Incorrect label

Section 3(c), 687

I ■..

.. .
neinz

ruuliu

1 nrougn Reps

_.
....
Kice rarex (inrant rood)

■............
Laoeinng incorrect

ejection o

12.

Infacare

Health Care System Through Reps

Beechnut (Infant food)

Advised to start food from 3 month
Label incorrect

Section 3(c) 87
Rule 789

13.

Nestle

Health Care System Through Reps

Nestum (Infant food)

Samples and Incorrect labels

Section 3(c) 86

14.

Nestle

Health Care System Through Reps

Cerelac/Nestum

Offer dinner

Section 9

15.

Raptakos Brett Health Care System Journal

Zeroise (IMS)

Advertisement in medical journal

Section 3

16.

Nestle

Health Care System, Information booklets
Public

Cerelac (Infant food)

Free distribution to doctors. Advertisement
to receive free booklets from Nestle

Section 3(c) 87
Rule 789

17.

Abott

Health Care System

Information booklets

Pramilac (Supplement
for Mothers)

Booklet with incorrect information

Section 3(c) 87
Rule 789

18.

Nestle

Public

Direct

Lactogen 2

Advertising on Lactogen 1 Tin

Section 3(a)

19.

Wockhardt

Public

Direct

Dexolac HP 2

Advertising on the lid of Dexolac 1

Section 3 (a)

20.

Gujrat Co. Ltd.

Public

Direct

Amul Spray

Uses pictures of Teddy Bear on the label

Section 6

21.

Nestle

Health Care System Through journals

Cerelac

Offer International fellowships and scholar­
ship

Section 9

and Reps
22.

Nestle

Health Care System Direct

Cerelac

Sponsors conference for doctors

Section 9

23.

Heinz

Health Care System Publications

Farex

Offer research fund

Section 9

24.

SKB

Health Care System Direct and Reps

Mothers Horiicks

Consumer Leaflet provides incorrect
information

Section 3(c) 87
Rule 789

25.

Tender Touch

Public

Direct

Feeding Bottle

Offer gifts and discounts

Section 3

26.

Littles

Public

Direct

Feeding Bottle

Offer gifts and discounts

Section 3

27.

Hello Baby

Public

Direct

Feeding Bottle

Offer gifts and discounts

Section 3

28.

Dimpy

Public

Direct

Feeding Bottle

Offer gifts and discounts

Section 3

29.

Bobby Care

Public

Direct

Feeding Bottle

Offer gifts and discounts

Section 3

30.

Baby Soft

Public

Direct

Feeding Bottle

Offer gifts and discounts

Section 3

Offer gifts and discounts

Section 3

Offer gifts and discounts

Section 3

31.

Bonne Polysil

Public

Direct

Feeding Bottle

32.

Baby Bank

Public

Direct

Feeding Bottle

Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI)/
International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), South Asia
BP-33, Pitampura, Delhi 110 034
Tel: (91)I 1-7443445, Fax: (91)] 1-7219606, Email: bpni@bpni.org

IBFAN

uncJte sOailfc gooo
4 report on how companies violate the IMS Act in India
The Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India
(BPNI) works to protect, promote and support breast­
feeding in India. Monitoring the compliance with the
Infant Milk Substitutes. Infant Foods and Feeding
Bottles (Regulation of Production. Supply and
Distribution) Act, 1992(IMS Act) is its major activi­
ties. This is a brief summary of the complete report
“Under Attack 2000" This report contains only the
violations reported by motivated individuals and does
not reflect all the violation. On the reverse is a compi­
lation of these violations in table format. Violations
include promotion by companies using print or
electronic media, using health care system or providing
incentives to doctors and how companies misguide or
provide incorrect information to public through misuse
of their own publications on infant feeding.
Promoting Infant Foods
Promotion Io public
The manufactures use various methods clever slogans,
phrases with health claims, offer free samples to
doctors, offer gifts, provide educational material and
incentives to health professionals and health care
institutions of through tied sales.
The consequence of such advertising is that mothers’
lose their confidence and hence their ability to lactate
fully, which results in inappropriate infant feeding
practices like early introduction of bottle-feeding and
commercial cereal foods.

Some examples of this promotion:

Using print media
Companies have used print media to the best of their
advantage.

Nestle produced a poster titled “Cerelac, I love you”,
which was posted on the walls of public streets.
markets, places in an attempt to influence the consum­
ers.

Nestle also advertises ‘Cerelac’ through several
magazines like Parenting. Meri Saheli, Grehshobha.
and Health and Nutrition. Which target women
readers.
Nestle sponsors an article on newborn care in "Meri
Saheli" magazine; information about breastfeeding in
this article was incorrect as well misleading.
Heinz India regularly promotes “Farex” through
magazine targeted at parents. This company also used
Times of India for promoting ‘Farex’

Using Electronic Media
Two companies have been on TV regularly. These arc
Heinz (Farex) and Nestle (Cerelac). Most common
channels involved are SONY, ZEE and Doordarshan
and all kind of programmes including movies, serials,
sports and comedy shows have been used as medium
to reach people.
Tied sales
Nestles promotes ‘Cerelac’ tied to other consumer
products like Johnson and Johnson’s baby powder or
soap.

Promotion through health care system
Promoting infant foods for use in 3"' month
A new company 1NFACARE division of Alferez Pvt.
Ltd. promotes an infant food, "Beechnut oatmeal", to
be used during 3,J month of life contrary' the recom­
mendations and in violation of the IMS Act
Free samples to doctors
DaJmia Industries Limited promotes ‘Weano Care’,
Wockhardt’s ‘Dexrice’, ‘First Food’ and ’Easum’ and
Nestle’s ‘Nestum’ are provided as free samples to
doctors a common method.

Promoting Infant Milk Substitutes
Nestle has been using lid of Lactogen I to advertise
Lactogen II.

Parenting

Advertisement on

Similarly Wockhardt uses the lid of ‘Dexolac’ I for
promoting ‘Dexolac HP 2’.
Amul Spray has Teddy bears on the label
Raptakos Brett advertises ‘Zerolac’ through a medical
review published by the company itself.

Promoting Feeding Bottles
Any kind of promotion is prohibited for feeding
bottles/found. Brands that have been providing
incentives with purchase of feeding bottles include
Tender Touch, Little. Hello Baby, Dimpu, Bobby Care,
Baby Soft, and Bonne Polysil.
Inducements to health workers
The IMS Act bans any inducement to health workers
directly or indirectly. Few examples

Nestles nutrition services offers international fellow­
ship to pediatricians, Nestle sponsors conference
sessions for doctors, Heinz offers research funds and
Nestle offers dinner to doctors over screening of video
on newborn care.

Promoting through their own publications on infant
feeding
The IMS Act deals with educational materials in
section 7. Some examples of companies producing and
disseminating their own booklets.

"Nestle Cerelac Baby Care Book”, distributed free to
doctors and also available free upon writing to the
company. This booklet carries information about baby
care but cleverly misses information on breastfeeding.

“ Breastfeeding your baby”, a patient education
booklet by Abbot promotes bottle feeding/artificial
feeding in very early months.
SKB promotes Mother’s Horlicks, the special
nourisher for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers a
flier provided with it provides misleading information
about lactation capability of women.

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