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Unsolicited ads for formula for toddlers, which was made specifically to promote the growth of my children’s bodies, appeared in my mailbox when my boys were small. They were curious. When needed, my kids would drink cow’s dairy. The cost was lower and it worked perfectly.
A little more than 10 years later, I would continue to ask questions about this product. Reporting that I was half way around the worldIn Thailand, public health officials tried to prevent the marketing of similar formulas. They had encountered an opponent that I, and many Americans would find shocking: the U.S. Government.
After the scarcity of 2022, I began to investigate the industry of baby formula. Supply-chain issues and the closure of an Michigan formula factory due to contamination fears led me into the field. My reporting took a new turn soon after.
In March last year, after hearing from academics and advocates that U.S. officials have been fighting against regulations in other countries relating to the marketing of formula for years, I got up early to catch a livestreamed session at an international standards organization meeting held in Dusseldorf. It was about a standard for toddler milk, a product that I had wondered about many years ago. The U.S. delegation, including formula industry officials and government officials, raised objections. The U.S. delegation was concerned about the language that mentioned World Health Organization guidelines on banning formula advertising.
Following that meeting, I sent dozens of requests for information to federal agencies to learn more about U.S. policy on the regulation of formula. Videoconferencing late into the night or early in the morning was the best way to reach out to non-governmental organization health advocates around the globe.
In recent years I discovered that countries all over the world have attempted to ban the marketing of formula for toddlers, often by expanding the advertising restrictions they had already implemented. Experts say that aggressive marketing of formula, such as free samples and steep discounts, can lead to misleading claims. This may cause mothers prematurely stop breastfeeding. This industry has had a turbulent history. It was accused in the 1970s of being responsible for thousands of deaths of babies and infants by selling powdered milk formula to poor families who did not have access to water.
The formula industry has acknowledged in statements that breastfeeding is better, but also said there are times when families need an alternative.
From my own experience, I know that parents are not always able to make simple decisions about feeding their kids. The health benefits of breastfeeding are well documented, and include a lower risk of obesity and infant mortality. However, it can take a lot time and be difficult logistically. Health officials from around the globe told me that they were concerned about misleading advertising campaigns that could discourage mothers who otherwise would breastfeed.
The toddler milk I tried raised a number of questions. The packages of this milk often promised to boost brain and eye-health. Extensive studies These claims are not supported by any evidence.
Infant Nutrition Council of America is a group of tradesmen that claims toddler drinks are “legal, regulatory, and nutritional science-based requirements. The product could “potentially” fill in nutrition gaps, it stated.
Officials in the health sector were also concerned that parents might confuse infant formula with toddler milk. The ingredients of toddler milk are not regulated as strictly and nutritionists have criticized it. In many cases, the labeling of both products is nearly identical.
The Milk Code of Thailand restricts advertising of infant formula but allows marketing of toddler’s milk.
You can also read about the advantages of using Documents from public records requests As the years rolled on, I started to notice how much of an impact America had. I began to see the U.S.’s impact as the years went by.
Thailand eventually backed off, limiting its advertising ban to children older than 1 years old and continuing formula marketing. I found that my records and research showed a pattern, whereby the U.S. was trying to undermine formula restrictions in more than 12 countries.
In a statement, the U.S. Trade Representative said that it “works to support and advocate policy and regulatory decision that are based upon science.”
This story was brought home to me by a family of middle class in rural Thailand.
Sumet Aunlamai, like me, had two sons who were a bit more than three-years apart. Parents chose toddler milk because they read about the benefits of the product for brain and eyes development. They were given the milk by their parents whenever asked, because it they believed that was healthy for them.
Both boys gained a lot of weight. Gustun was almost 70 pounds when he turned 3 – the weight of a child 9 years old. He was having difficulty moving. No medical tests could explain his condition.
Jintana wonders now if the toddler milk is the cause of the loss in weight.
She told me that both of her boys, 6 and 9 years old, now have healthy weights after watching them play football in the driveway on a September afternoon. Gustun darted about. She said, “His movements are perfect.”