September 13, 2004

Nestlé Unable to Refute Charges of Code Violations

Nestlé appears unable to refute the the evidence presented in a recent IBFAN publication, Breaking the Rules 2004, which documents examples of the company’s marketing malpractice.  The report, released in May, is full of pictures and text which show how and where Nestlé is systematically violating the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes all over the world.  When the report was first released, the company’s website dedicated to formula feeding, www.babymilk.Nestlé.com, issued an initial review of the publication.  The website’s statement only addressed a handful of the hundreds of violations reported in Breaking the Rules, but promised that a full response would be posted by the end of June.  Months later, the company has yet to post such a response, leading the public to ask the question whether or not Nestlé has any evidence at all that it is not in gross violation of the International Code. 

Nestlé has repeatedly stated that it is company policy to investigate any allegations of code violations by its employees and to reprimand those responsible.  But the initial review of Breaking the Rules posted on its website belied that Nestlé has no such policy, as it lamented the fact that some violations reported lacked details indicating “where or when” they occurred.  This shows that Nestlé’s promise to thoroughly investigate violations is empty because IBFAN has all of the violations it reports documented in its office, and could easily give specifics to the company if it were to ask.  Given the corporation’s disinterest in altering its immoral practices, this is unlikely to happen.

Nestlé has not reported reprimanding any of its employees for committing the violations contained in Breaking the Rules.  It has also not refuted the fact that the violations took place and continue to occur.  Clearly the company is deliberately violating the International Code, and willingly endangering the lives of the world’s children. 

Don’t let them get away with it, Boycott Nestlé!