Commercial Milk Formula Webinar Recordings

Unpacking Commercial Milk Formula Marketing: Communities, Contexts, and Impacts

The USBC is pleased to have hosted the 2021 three-part webinar series: Unpacking Commercial Milk Formula Marketing: Communities, Contexts, and Impacts. This series marked the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and is part of an effort to create a shared understanding of commercial milk formula marketing practices and the disparate impact of marketing practices on communities in the U.S. and around the world.

Session 1: Commercial Milk Formula Marketing: ​International Contexts and Tools

This session has been approved for continuing education by the CDC. Please review the after accreditation information before participating in this session.

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​Presented by:

• Laurence Grummer-Strawn, PhD, Technical Officer, World Health Organization
  
• Rachel Crossley, MSc, Senior Advisor, Access to Nutrition Initiative

• Handouts: Links to WHO publications to support Code
  
• Presenter Slides: Grummer-Strawn, Crossley​
  

The distinguished panelists described the international contexts of commercial milk formula marketing practices and impacts, as well as the role the U.S. plays in the global community. They discussed the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes, published in 1981 but has yet to be adopted in the U.S. while highlighting potentially useful shifts in approach moving forward. They shared tools for recognizing and tracking commercial milk formula marketing practices in the U.S. Key findings were shared from the 2018 "U.S. Access to Nutrition Index," which included an evaluation of three major infant formula manufacturers and other products marketed as a partial or total replacement for breast milk.

Session 2: Commercial Milk Formula Marketing: Communities and Emergencies

This session has been approved for continuing education by the CDC. Please review the after accreditation information before participating in this session.

​Presented by:

• Kimarie Bugg, Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere
• Malaika Ludman, Birthmark Doula Collective
• Lourdes Santaballa, Alimentación Segura Infantil
  

Handouts: Guia Express Guide: English, Spanish
Presenter slides: Ludman, Bugg, Santaballa ​

The second session in the series addressed how formula marketing impacts provision of lactation support to communities with diverse needs. Speakers highlighted the effects of formula marketing in BIPOC communities and the unique challenges of infant feeding in times of emergency or natural disaster.

Session 3: Commercial Milk Formula Marketing: Organizing for Impact

   This session has been approved for continuing education by the CDC. Please review the after accreditation information before participating in this session. 

​Presented by:

• Sally Mancini, UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity
• Jennifer Pomeranz, NYU School of Global Public Health 
• Marsha Walker, National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy (ret.) ​

Resources: 

• Research article: Caregiver's Provision of Non-Recommended Commercially Prepared Milk-Based Drink to Infants and Toddlers 
  
• Counter-marketing videos: https://uconnruddcenter.org/healthydrinksfortoddlers/​
  

Panelists discussed Breast Milk Substitutes (BMS) labeling, the impacts of formula marketing, and the opportunities for collective work to influence policy on commercial milk formula marketing.