The regulations require all marketing around infant feeding, from labelling to commercial practices, to continue to follow the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. In essence, this means the labelling, presentation, advertising and promotion of infant formula and follow-on formula must not discourage breastfeeding.1

The ICMBS is the voluntary code of practice published by the World Health Organization in 1981 but there have been concerns that national laws have not necessarily meant promotional activity complied as closely as intended.10

Evidence indicates that “advertising directly to the consumer and other marketing techniques influences parents and caregivers in their decisions on how to feed their infants,” says the 2016 regulations. Taking into account both this and the particular role of infant formula in the diet of infants, “specific restrictions should be laid down in this Regulation on advertising and other marketing techniques for this type of product.”1

The regulations state there will be “no point-of-sale advertising, no giving of samples or any other promotional device to induce sales of infant formula directly to the consumer at the retail level, such as special displays, discount coupons, premiums, special sales, loss-leaders and tie-in sales”.

Note that this relates to infant formula, but not follow-on formula.