Giving out free samples of milk formula for newborns will be banned under a new code of practice drawn up by manufacturers, an industry association said yesterday.
The self-governing code, to be rolled out by the end of this year, would apply to babies up to the age of six months, the Hong Kong Infant and Young Child Nutrition Association said. The group was formed by formula brands Mead Johnson, Nestle, Wyeth, FrieslandCampina, Danone and Abbott.
Public hospitals stopped giving out free milk formula samples last year but some manufacturers continue the practice in private hospitals and will have to stop once the code comes into effect.
Under the code, complaints can be filed with the association and the complaint will be passed to the named manufacturer, which should respond within 14 working days. If the complainant is still not satisfied, the case will be heard by a committee comprising a trade member and two from outside the business.
Companies can be fined up to HK$100,000 under the code. Repeated breaches will lead to suspension or cancellation of membership in the association and that will be announced in newspapers.
The Society of Hospital Pharmacists complained in April about misleading adverts that claimed milk formula could promote brain development and prevent constipation. But the new code will not apply to them, since those products are aimed at infants over six months old.