I am writing on behalf of the Hong Kong Infant and Young Child Nutrition Association in response to letters by Caroline Carson ("Code aims to curb formula producers' outrageous claims", November 28) and Maggie Holmes ("Health benefits of breast milk are obvious", December 4), in order to clarify some misconceptions.
We would like to stress that the association has always supported the idea that breast milk is the best food for infants and that quality formula is the only safe alternative to breast milk, a statement supported by the World Health Organisation.
Both Ms Carson and Ms Holmes fail to acknowledge the main reasons mothers do not breastfeed.
According to a survey by the University of Hong Kong's Public Opinion Programme this February, as well as studies in 2000 and 2010 conducted in several Hong Kong hospitals, the major factors for not breastfeeding include inadequate breast milk supply, returning to work, fatigue or health problems and inadequate breastfeeding facilities.
Marketing activities by infant milk formula manufacturers are not mentioned.
We would also like to draw attention to the fact that there has been no ruling from the Office of the Communications Authority against claims in our advertising or against the promotional activities of formula manufacturers for "providing wrong information to the public" in the past five years.