Baby formula advert complaints are upheld

The adverts for SMA follow-on milk featured text incorporating mothers’ names, saying, for example: “Emma breastfed her daughter because she knew it would give her the best start in life. When she finished, she was determined to find the best option for her baby. She chose SMA Follow-on Milk because it contains Omega 3 & 6 for growth and development. For Emma, the best milk after hers is SMA Follow-on Milk.”

A footnote stated: “Important Notice: SMA Follow-on Milk is for babies over 6 months and is not intended to replace breastfeeding. It should only be used as part of a varied weaning diet.”

But 64 complainants, including Unicef UK, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Baby Milk Action and the Lactation Consultants of Great Britain, objected that the ads misleadingly implied that follow-on milk was the best alternative to breast milk and was superior to other follow-on milk. They also complained that the ads implied that breastfeeding should stop at six months.

Pfizer, which owns the SMA brand, said all the ads stated that its formula was not intended to replace breastfeeding.