Restricting Infant Formula Marketing in Australia
Objectives of Government Action and Rationale for Intervention
What are the policy objectives?
The ultimate goal of the policy is to help protect and promote breastfeeding to improve public health outcomes. The long-term objective is therefore to increase breastfeeding rates. This includes rates of exclusive breastfeeding up to around 6 months, as well as continued breastfeeding beyond 6 months as solid foods are introduced.
The short- and medium-term objectives will be to:
- Reduce marketing of infant formula products in Australia and the impact this has on families’ infant feeding decisions.
- Reduce consumer confusion about the benefits of breastfeeding.
- Ensure evidence-based information informs decision-making by parents and caregivers.
The policy will also serve to create a level playing field for industry, ensuring all infant formula companies are bound by the same marketing regulations.
Please refer to page 18 of the Discussion Paper.
Additional Information
Why is Government intervention needed?
While many infant formula companies engage in responsible marketing practices, Australian families remain exposed to infant formula marketing. Former voluntary regulation of infant formula marketing in Australia was deemed not to provide adequate protection to families or result in a net benefit for society.
Introducing legal measures to restrict infant formula marketing will ensure greater protection of breastfeeding, create a level playing field for industry through clear and consistently enforced requirements. Families, civil society and industry will be assured that the Government is monitoring and enforcing infant formula marketing regulations and that non-compliance will be dealt with appropriately.
Government intervention is required to correct market failures arising from information imbalances between parents and infant formula companies, and to help mitigate the broader health impacts associated with low breastfeeding rates.
How will we measure success?
Considerations around how to measure the success of the policy are included in the ‘Monitoring, enforcement and evaluation’ section of the Discussion Paper (pages 24 - 26). It is important to acknowledge breastfeeding is influenced by many social, economic and cultural factors, of which marketing is just one. Directly attributing any increase in breastfeeding rates to this policy will be difficult.