r. Imelda
Ben, working with poor mothers in squatter areas of Manila and
Quezon City in the Philippines, holds five Nestlé shares.
Recently, she flew half way around the world to Lausanne, Switzerland
to attend the Nestlé shareholders meeting, to explain how
Nestlé's aggressive marketing in the Philippines was threatening
the health and lives of Filipino infants.
Dr. Ben proceeded to ask the Nestlé shareholders whether they accepted any responsibility for the harm that their company inflicts. She then described the plight of one mother called Thelma Valdez.
"Thelma bottlefed her son Jack, with Nestogen. Jack consumes about nine-four ounce bottles a day if Thelma can afford to buy it. But most of the time she has to bottlefeed Jack with sugar and water. Thelma has taught her ten year old daughter to prepare Jack's milk. They do not sterilize the bottle that Jack drinks from because they cannot buy the coal for the stove. Nor can they clean the bottle with soap and water because they do not have money almost all the time.
"Not surprisingly, Jack at only four months has suffered from severe pneumonia and had to be hospitalized. To me they are victims of institutionalized violence. The question is does Nestlé accept any responsibility for Jack's health. Even if Thelma could read all the instructions on the Nestogen packet, how can she carry them out?"
Dr. Maucher, Nestlé CEO, failed to respond to Dr. Ben's questions and incorrectly informed the Nestlé shareholders that Nestogen is not a breastmilk substitute. Referring the questions raised to Mr. Brabeck designated to succeed Mr. Maucher in the year 2,000 who said he had visited two hospitals in the Philippines and had not seen any of these problems. Nestlé showed its real interests when Mr. Brabeck stated that if the economy suffered from too strict rules it would not be in the interest of consumers.
For Nestlé, clearly infant health is not an interest.
Thumbs Down: the Thames Valley Children's Hospital Foundation in London, Ontario for using Nestlé chocolates to raise funds.