The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (hereafter referred to as "The Code") was adopted in 1981 by 118 countries, including Canada, as a "minimum requirement" to protect infant health by ensuring the ethical marketing of breast-milk substitutes by the industry.
PRODUCTS COVERED BY THE CODE
- Commercial infant preparation
- Foods and beverages for infants under 36 months or as a replacement for breast milk (cereals, purees, juices, herbal teas)
- Bottles, nipples, and pacifiers
SUMMARY OF THE CODE
- No advertising to the general public of products covered by the Code.
- No free samples given to mothers.
- No promotion of Code-covered products in healthcare facilities, including the distribution of free or low-cost supplies.
- No company representatives of breast-milk substitute companies to advise mothers.
- No gifts or samples given to healthcare professionals.
- No wording or imagery idealizing commercial infant preparation feeding – including images of babies on product labels.
- Information provided by manufacturers and distributors to healthcare professionals must be scientific and limited to facts.
- Each package or label must clearly state the superiority of breastfeeding and include a warning about the risks and cost of artificial feeding.
- No promotion of sweetened condensed milk or other inappropriate products as infant foods.
- Manufacturers and distributors must adhere to the provisions of the Code, even if countries have not adopted adequate legislative measures.
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Other sources of information: CCA MSSS OMS MAQ LLL France
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