Welcome to our June newsletter. We hope you are enjoying the summer.
This month we have a large amount of varied news for you as follows:
We are excited to share our latest policy report on ultra-processed foods (UPF) in the diets of infants and young children in the UK, calling on the Government to take action to reduce UPF intakes in the early years given evidence that UPF-rich diets are associated with ill-health independently of their nutrient profile;
The Food Foundation have launched their annual Broken Plate report on the state of the UK’s food system outlining “what needs to change to support us all to eat healthily and sustainably”, which echoes growing concern about UPFs;
UNICEF have published new programme guidance on engaging with the food and beverage industry, which we think sets a great example of dos and don’ts to protect child health from conflicts of interest with breastmilk substitute and UPF companies.
We also provide an update on our advocacy to improve accessibility to infant formula for struggling families affected by the ongoing cost of living crisis; share a new documentary highlighting the need for actions to enable breastfeeding; and highlight new advice from the FSA asking businesses not to sell plastic containers or utensils containing bamboo.
In infant milk news there is one product line which will be discontinued.
As secretariat of the BFLG-UK, we report back from the WHO/UNICEF ‘Code Congress’ we attended in Geneva.
In forthcoming events, World Breastfeeding Week will take place during the first week of August.
Happy reading.
News
NEW FIRST STEPS REPORT: Ultra-Processed Foods in the diets of infants and young children in the UK
After two years of research and writing, we finally published our long awaited UPF report in early June. The main messages are that UPF-rich diets are now the norm in the UK, from birth and the first years of life. This is concerning as a wealth of evidence shows that such diets are associated with multiple negative health outcomes, including obesity. We outline what products marketed specifically for infants and young children (and commonly consumed) are likely to be ultra-processed, what mechanisms might be in play, what may be driving high intakes, and make seven recommendations to the UK Government which we believe could reduce reliance on UPFs in the early years. These are informed by what other countries are already doing to address the issue and build on current initiatives and opportunities.
The publication was covered by The Guardian and The BMJ and was featured in The Week. Report co-author and First Steps Director Dr Vicky Sibson was interviewed about the report in the second of a two-part Food Programme on BBC Radio 4 on ‘Learning to Eat’. Lastly, she and the lead author, First Steps Nutritionist Rachel Childs, talk about the report in this podcast for Food Active.
We’re pleased to see that our report has been received positively and shared widely both in the UK and internationally and endorsed by experts on the NOVA classification (of which UPF is one category), including Professor Carlos Monteiro who created the concept.
The launch of our report comes ahead of the release of a position on (ultra)processed foods by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, and amid great interest, concern, and contention around the NOVA classification and UPF as a concept. This is illustrated by this Hansard record of the recent Westminster Hall debate on the subject. The multi-national conglomerates that supply much of our food stand to lose out enormously if the UK Government decide to take an active stance on UPFs, meaning much of the contention and doubt in the science is likely to be driven by food industry voices.
We are working hard to encourage constructive dialogue on the subject with our peer organisations and seek to identify actions that we can agree on to rebalance early years diets away from UPF (including by advising avoidance of commercial baby and toddler foods where possible) and in favour of nutritious unprocessed and minimally processed foods.
Lastly, in terms of what this means for your work if you are a health care professional supporting families to eat well and want to help them avoid UPFs, our Eating Well resources do this! They provide guidance on how to feed infants and young children up to 5 years of age, in line with public health recommendations on diets based on unprocessed and minimally processed foods. You can find all these resources here.
NEW FOOD FOUNDATION REPORT: The Broken Plate 2023
This report was launched on Tuesday 27 June and outlines how our dysfunctional food system continues to fuel diet-related preventable disease and damage to our environment. “This is not a result of individual failure – not a lack of will power nor a shortage of knowledge – but rather the consequence of a food system which traps us into eating in a way that is harmful to our health and harmful to our planet”. It highlights how food companies are also trapped in this system: the economic imperative drives them to sell foods that are cheap to produce and have the greatest profit margins but that also make us sick. The report shows impact on diet quality via two metrics (one is UPF consumption), and health impacts via five additional metrics. “Together these metrics paint a picture of where we are now and critical next steps for ensuring we can all eat well”. See the seven recommendations (‘what needs to happen’) below (including one on regulating commercial baby and toddler food composition and marketing).
NEW UNICEF PROGRAMME GUIDANCE: Engaging with the Food and Beverage Industry
This guidance outlines how UNICEF programmes’ engagement on and engagement with the food and beverage industry should be driven by the best interests of children, avoiding conflict of interest.
It acknowledges that the food and beverage industry play a central role in the production, distribution, marketing and retailing of foods that are consumed by children globally. As a result, the industry is a key driver and shaper of our food systems, impacting children’s nutrition, health, and development. “The food and beverage industry can and must be a force for good, for all children, everywhere, without exception”.
The backdrop is that the poor quality of children’s diets is the most important driver of the triple burden of child malnutrition: undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity. In line with what the Food Foundation’s Broken Plate report states, this guidance outlines the triple burden is largely driven by a broken food system that is failing to provide children with the nutritious, safe, affordable, and sustainable diets they to grow and develop to their full potential.
Interestingly, this guidance specifically calls out the UPF industry: “The companies producing these unhealthy, nutrient-poor UPF–rich in sugar, salt, trans-fats and food additives and preservatives - are major drivers of today’s broken food system and the global epidemic of childhood overweight and obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases..among children...It is now widely accepted that the practices and products of the UPF industry harm children’s lives and have become the main commercial determinant of childhood malnutrition and disease”. It goes on to state: “Evidence shows that direct partnering with the UPF industry (i.e., working with) and voluntary UPF industry initiatives do not translate into large-scale sustainable results in transforming food systems for children”, and highlights how direct funding poses reputational risk to organisations engaged in policy development and provision of normative guidance.
The guidance outlines 10 parameters for engagement, including strengthening public policy to transform food systems (whilst avoiding conflict of interest by excluding the food and beverage industry in all public policy making processes), avoiding all partnerships (financial and non-financial, and collaborations) with food and beverage industries that violate the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and with UPF industries (including individual companies as well as associations, platforms, and front groups). Lastly, it states that UNICEF favours upstream advocacy and public policy work and prioritises engagement on over engagement with the food and beverage industry.
As summarised, there are some strong principles in here that we hope UK organisations will look to replicate to put child health first.
COST OF LIVING UPDATE: Supporting safe and appropriate feeding of formula-fed infants during the cost of living crisis
As the cost of living crisis continues, there is growing concern for families who are struggling to afford to purchase and prepare infant formula and may resort to unsafe practices, putting their baby’s health at risk. At the same time, formula companies appear to be safeguarding their profits (The Financial Times recently reported margins in excess of 20 percent!), as revealed by wide variations in prices of comparable infant formulas, differing rates of price increases between brands, and market growth despite slowing sales (read more about this in our Cost of Living briefing).
In light of this, we continue to call for intervention to control the price of infant formula to make it more affordable for families. We were delighted to see Ian Byrne MP put the ask for a price cap to the big supermarkets in parliament this week, although all disagreed that this was an appropriate response to the problem of high prices. We await the results of the inquiry of the Competition and Markets Authority into supermarket pricing which will be published in early July.
Directly related to this, we also support the Food Foundation’s Kids Food Guarantee which includes an ask of retailers to make own brand infant formula available and/or to control infant formula prices. You can track progress on this initiative here.
Lastly, the Healthy Start Allowance should be a vital safety net for families struggling to feed their infants. However, payments are no longer sufficient to cover the cost of any first infant formula, and uptake rates reveal that roughly 35 percent of eligible families are missing out on this support. To urge the Government to take action in improving the scheme, we signed an open letter coordinated by Emma Lewell-Buck MP, ahead of her Rule Bill, arguing the case for autoenrollment for Healthy Start.
For more information on our calls for affordable infant formula, check out this Food Foundation podcast where our Director, Dr Vicky Sibson explains the issue.
NEW DOCUMENTARY: Breastfeeding: Not on the Agenda
This week a new documentary was aired showcasing the benefit and impact of breastfeeding to health, work, economy, and the environment. Created by Dr Ernestine Gheyoh Ndzi, Associate Dean in Law and Police Studies at York St John University, it explores challenges faced by mothers, fathers, health professionals and breastfeeding organisations and what is needed to support breastfeeding mothers. The launch of the documentary is being used to mark the start of a social media call to action titled 'Breastfeeding: Urgent Agenda Item'. Please support the campaign! You can find out more here.
The FSA asks businesses not to sell plastic containers or utensils containing bamboo
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has asked businesses not to sell plastic containers and utensils containing bamboo or other plant-based materials like rice husk, wheat straw and hemp. Bamboo and similar plant-based materials have not had their safety assessed in plastic. Nor have they been authorised under retained (EU) Regulation 10/2011 for use in plastic food contact materials (applicable in England, Wales, and Scotland), or Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 (applicable in Northern Ireland).
What is the problem?
The Committee on Toxicity (COT) has carried out a review of plastic composites containing bamboo. However, due to a lack of available data, they have been unable to carry out a comprehensive risk assessment. Their preliminary investigations suggest that in some cases, the presence of bamboo or other plant-based materials could result in migration of formaldehyde or melamine into foods, beyond the legal limit, particularly when used with hot or acidic foods or when the utensils are put in the microwave. The FSA have therefore called for evidence or any information to help inform an assessment of their long-term stability and overall risk.
What products might contain these composite materials?
Plastic composites that include bamboo or other plant materials are commonly found in reusable drinking cups, tableware and cutlery, lunchboxes, and chopping boards, plates, bowls, and cups including some specifically marketed as crockery sets to infants and children. Products made from bamboo alone are not of concern. Whilst it is very unlikely that the initial use of these composite products would result in an immediate health risk, the longer-term health impacts are unknown, mainly due to the current lack of evidence. The FSA have advised that as a precautionary measure, where there is any doubt about the materials used, these products should not be used until a full study into their safety has been completed.
You can read the full FSA notice here.
Infant Milk News
Aptamil Organic range of formula milks to be discontinued by the end of the year
Danone (Nutricia) have announced that they are to discontinue their Aptamil Organic range of infant and toddler milks. They have said that this is to ‘allow them to focus on other recipes.
The organic range will stop selling at slightly different times in different retailers throughout 2023, so you might be able to find products in some retailers longer than others as stocks deplete. The products will continue to be stocked by Amazon until the end of the year.
This is the second big brand to discontinue a short-lived organic range – Nestlé delisted their SMA Organic brand at the end of April 2022.
For infant milk information please visit our website www.infantmilkinfo.org. If you can’t find what you’re looking for please email Susan@firststepsnutrition.org
Baby Feeding Law Group UK news
Feedback from Global Congress on Implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes
From 20-22 June 2023, the first ever Global Congress on Implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes organised by the WHO and UNICEF took place. Over 400 delegates from over 100 countries representing government, civil society, academia, and UN agencies came together to share latest evidence, discuss common challenges and learn from successful experiences on how to improve implementation of the Code to protect infant and young child health.
Various updated and helpful resources were shared on the Global Breastfeeding Collective Breastfeeding Advocacy Toolkit website, including the following that we would like to bring to your attention:
A UNICEF guide to understanding and combatting industry interference and conflicts of interest Protecting Infant and Young Child Nutrition from Industry Interference and Conflicts of Interest
A WHO and UNICEF information note on Clarification on sponsorship of health professional and scientific meetings by companies that market foods for infants and young children
A Universal Monitoring and Reporting Form for reporting Code violations
The UK delegation included representatives from civil society and academia, but unfortunately no government officials. We look forward to using the resources shared, lessons learned, and connections made at the Congress to take forward our work with the Baby Feeding Law Group UK member organisations and continue efforts to advocate for alignment of the current UK laws relating to the marketing of commercial milk formula to be in line with (and extended to encompass all elements of) the international Code, as well as continuing to advocate for improved enforcement of existing legislation.
For more information about the Baby Feeding Law Group UK please visit our website Baby Feeding Law Group UK (bflg-uk.org) and sign up to our twitter account @BflgUk. You can also email katie@firststepsnutrition.org
Forthcoming
World Breastfeeding Week 2023
World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) takes place annually from 1-7 August and this year’s theme is “Enabling Breastfeeding: Making a difference for working parents”. Resources are available at the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) website and the World Breastfeeding Week website (WBW) including: