Health and nutrition claims for infant formula are poorly substantiated and potentially harmful
- PMID: 32376671
- PMCID: PMC8581741
- DOI: 10.1136/bmj.m875
Health and nutrition claims for infant formula are poorly substantiated and potentially harmful
Abstract
Marketing claims for infant formula should be banned, argue Daniel Munblit and colleagues
Conflict of interest statement
Competing interests: We have read and understood BMJ policy on declaration of interests and declare the following interests: DM and RJB have received consultancy payment from Dairy Goat Co-Operative (NZ) for designing a clinical trial of an infant formula. RJB is senior editor for the children and families network of Cochrane Review Groups, has acted as an expert witness in a class action relating to an infant formula health claim, and previously led a Food Standards Agency commissioned systematic review of the evidence for hydrolysed formula preventing allergic conditions. RJB’s employer, Imperial College London, has a formal research and innovation partnership with Nestlé, who manufacture and market infant formula products and sponsor infant formula research. Provenance and peer review: Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
References
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- Crawley H, Westland S. “Scientific and factual”? A review of breastmilk substitute advertising to healthcare professionals: First Steps Nutrition Trust, 2016. https://www.firststepsnutrition.org/pdfs/Scientific_and_Factual_booklet_...
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- Tijhuis MJ, Doets EL, Vonk Noordegraaf-Schouten M. Extensive literature search and review as preparatory work for the evaluation of the essential composition of infant and follow-on formulae and growing-up milk. EFSA supporting publication, Contract No: EN-551. Pallas Health Research and Consultancy, 2014. https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2903/sp.efsa.2014.EN-551 - DOI
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