ADVERTISEMENTS RELATING TO INFANT
FOOD BANNED: NOTIFICATION
TO BE EFFECTIVE FROM 1st NOVEMBER
From November 1, 2003, advertising
for infant milk substitutes and other infant foods will be prohibited
on all forms of mass media, with the recent amendments to the
Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation
of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992 coming into
force from that date. Government has issued notification to enforce
these amendments, which were passed by Parliament earlier this
year.
The ban on advertising of infant
foods is meant to protect and promote breast-feeding. Recent findings
have suggested that the infant thrives best on exclusive breastfeeding
for the first six months of life and continued breastfeeding together
with complementary foods for the first two years. The World Health
Assembly resolution of 1994 also calls upon member states of the
WHO to foster such feeding practices for infants.
The amendments also expand the purview
of the Act to include diverse products being marketed as a complement
to mother’s food and to include different types of people associated
with marketing / representing such products.
The amendments to the Infant Milk
Substitutes Act are the outcome of a long process that started
with the Government constituting a Task Force for this purpose,
comprising representatives from various ministries and departments
of the Central Government and voluntary agencies. The National
Commission for Women had also suggested modifications in the Act.
Taking into consideration the recommendations of these two bodies,
and difficulties being experienced in the implementation of the
provisions of the Act owing to great expansion of the electronic
media over the years, the Government brought out the present amendments.
The important amendments in the principal
Act are:
- Strengthening the existing provisions
on publicity and advertisement to cover recent methods of advertising
and promotion like electronic transmission and audio-visual
transmission.
Continued breastfeeding "up to
the age of two years" along with complementary food after
"six months" (in place of the earlier "four months")
has been incorporated in the definition of "infant food".
- Continued breastfeeding "up
to the age of two years" has been incorporated in the definition
of "Infant Milk Substitute."
- To cover recent products which
may attempt to get around the principal Act, "infant foods"
have been brought at par with "infant milk substitutes"
in so far as advertising, promotion and other regulations are
concerned.
- Health care workers, pharmacies
and drug stores and professional associations of health workers
have been brought within the purview of the Act.
- Violations of the Rules made under
the Act have also been made punishable.
