Children's Food Campaign response to BMJ article on breastfeeding

Children's Food Campaign response to British Medical Journal article on breastfeeding guidance

Responding to an analysis published in the British Medical Journal yesterday suggesting that breastfeeding guidance needed to be reviewed, Christine Haigh of the Children's Food Campaign said:

“Any parent concerned for their baby's health should follow the current guidelines from the Department of Health.  When they start to wean their child, they should avoid the many processed foods marketed for babies and young children, which our research has shown is often higher in sugar and saturated fat than many junk foods.”

In 2009, the Children's Food Campaign published a report which showed that Farley's Original Rusks contained more sugar than McVities Dark Chocolate Digestives, that Heinz Toddler's Own Mini Cheese Biscuits contained more saturated fat per 100g than a McDonald's Quarter Pounder with cheese, and that Cow&Gate Baby Balance Bear Biscuits contained trans fats and were not labelled in the way required.

Breastfeeding advice from the Department of Health recommends that "Mothers who wish to introduce solids before six months should always talk to health professionals first."

Ends

For further information, please contact Christine Haigh on 0203 5596 777 or 07870 577934, or at Christine@sustainweb.org.

Notes to editors:

1) The Children's Food Campaign wants to improve children's health and well-being through better food - and food teaching - in schools, and protecting children from junk food marketing. We are supported by over 150 national organisations. The Children's Food Campaign is coordinated by Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming and funded by the British Heart Foundation. For more information, see http://www.childrensfoodcampaign.org.uk/ 

2) The British Medical Journal article is available at http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c5955

3) More information about the Children's Food Campaign report, Junk food for babies, is available at https://www.sustainweb.org/news/may_09_junk_food_babies.

4) For more information about the ways in which the baby food industry seeks to influence policy on breastfeeding, see http://info.babymilkaction.org/news/policyblog140111.