Baby milk claims labelled misleading

Baby milk manufacturer Wyeth (HK) has been accused of making exaggerated claims about the health benefits of its formula in advertisements.

The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Hong Kong Association, an organisation of more than 100 health professionals who promote breast-feeding, lodged the complaint this month to Wyeth about its 'Promil Gold' advertisement. The association also complained to TVB Jade channel, which showed the commercial.

According to the association, the advertisement suggests drinking the product will make babies smart and healthy, a claim it says conflicts with World Health Organisation (WHO) findings.

The association has previously complained to several other brand-name milk formula manufacturers, including Snowbrand, Maeil, C&G Nutricia, and Mead Johnson, which it said also used images of healthy and clever babies to advertise their products.

Association chairwoman Patricia Ip Lai-Sheung said the advertisement was one of a number by formula milk makers that could mislead mothers considering whether to breast- or bottle-feed their babies.

'In most of the advertisements, claims about extracts from breast milk added to the product, like DHA and carotene, are exaggerated regarding their benefits to brain and immune system development,' she said.

'Babies are shown playing outdoors with rosy cheeks and answering questions with astonishing speed to make mothers associate formula milk with better infant development.'