Tesco has been urged to drop an in-store infant feeding advice pilot after it was branded “unethical”. The supermarket giant’s service sees midwives trained by baby formula company Danone, with the option of wearing branded uniforms as they offer expertise to parents.
The scheme is underway in Tesco’s flagship store and is set to be rolled out to more shops shortly. But critics claim the initiative is a step backwards and goes against the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes.
This code, which was adopted by the Worth Health Organisation (WHO) and Unicef in 1981, states that “marketing personnel” should avoid direct or indirect contact with “pregnant women or with mothers of infants and young children“. This code is a law in over 100 countries but the UK law only covers some of the provisions in the code.
Some people have been left furious, comparing the scheme to the “milk nurses” scandal of the 1970s, where salespeople from formula industries dressed as nurses and promoted their formula to parents.
One midwife, who was hired in the Cheshunt store in Hertfordshire, quit last month as she felt it to be “unethical”. She said: “Because of the history, I just don’t want to be associated with it. It’s unethical. That was the line I couldn’t cross.
“Women trust me because I am a midwife. The bottom line is we’re making Danone look good, we’re increasing their revenue and product likability, when actually that’s not our role. As midwives, we should protect women and advocate for them.”
A spokesperson for Danone UK & Ireland said the initiative is only intended to provide “impartial, nutritional expertise.” They also said that the branded uniforms were optional and are happy to “take on broad feedback”. The company added: “We adhere fully to the WHO Code as implemented in UK regulations, and this trial is not in breach of that.”
A spokesperson for Tesco explained that the service was made to offer customers “additional support”. They added: “This complements the professional advice available from our pharmacists in-store. We comply with the UK Regulations governing infant and follow-on formula that cover some parts of the WHO Code.”
However, Vicky Sibson, director of First Steps Nutrition Trust, believes that Danone is using a tried and tested marketing tactic. She said: “They’re not breaking UK laws, but they do break the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes, which clearly advises against marketing personnel seeking direct or indirect contact with pregnant women or mothers.
“The issue is that UK laws fall short of what they should be. Danone is using its baby club name and logo to promote its service, and so indirectly promoting its products.”
Robert Boyle at Imperial College London Healthcare NHS Trust has called for Tesco to keep the clinics up “but remove Danone from the picture and allow midwives to use independent NHS information.”
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