IBFAN

Next week, IBFAN will be at the 49th Session of the Codex Labelling Committee (CCFL49) in Ottawa, Canada (11–15 May), to oppose a USA proposal that would allow flexible labelling and ingredients for emergencies.

IBFAN believes these guidelines will create dangerous double standards – putting those in situations of food insecurity, famine and food deprivation at even greater risk. Flexible labelling also complicates traceability and recall procedures for contaminated or unsafe food – at a time when formula possibly contaminated with cereulide has already been exported to Ukraine, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Please contact your national Codex contacts to advocate for the discontinuation of this proposal.

For more information, scan the QR Code or visit https://www.ibfan.org/codex-labelling-risky-proposals-for-emergencies-ccfl49/

IBFAN - Since 1979 Protecting Breastfeeding
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Next week, IBFAN will be at the 49th Session of the Codex Labelling Committee (CCFL49) in Ottawa, Canada (11–15 May), to oppose a USA proposal that would allow flexible labelling and ingredients for emergencies.

IBFAN believes these guidelines will create dangerous double standards – putting those in situations of food insecurity, famine and food deprivation at even greater risk. Flexible labelling also complicates traceability and recall procedures for contaminated or unsafe food – at a time when formula possibly contaminated with cereulide has already been exported to Ukraine, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Please contact your national Codex contacts to advocate for the discontinuation of this proposal.

For more information, scan the QR Code or visit https://www.ibfan.org/codex-labelling-risky-proposals-for-emergencies-ccfl49/

IBFAN - Since 1979 Protecting Breastfeeding

This open letter calls for an end to the Nestlé-UNU partnership and raises concerns about conflicts of interest in nutrition education and professional development.

At stake is the independence of education and public health policy from undue commercial influence.

Read the letter and add your signature by visiting https://www.ibfan.org/call-to-end-nestle-unu-partnership/

or by scanning the QR code.

IBFAN - Since 1979 Protecting Breastfeeding

79th World Health Assembly. 18-23rd May 2026 | Baby Milk Action 79th World Health Assembly. https://www.who.int/about/governance/world-health-assembly IBFAN WEBSITE GUIDE TO THE EB The 158th session of the Executive Board will take place at WHO HQ in Geneva. 2–7 February 2026. WEB STREAMING OF EB158 CLICK HERE for the Agenda and Documentation. Preliminary dail...

Formula milk marketing exploits parental anxieties about common infant behaviours such as fussiness or poor sleep.

Premium branding is paraded as having 'premium benefits', when in fact the only difference is the price.

Claims made by the formula milk industry about their products are often misleading, scientifically unsubstantiated & violate the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.

WHO is calling on governments to end exploitative marketing and protect babies’ health.

Per una diffusione capillare anche in formato cartaceo, abbiamo stampato la nuova edizione del Codice Violato.
La pubblicazione è arricchita da approfondimenti multimediali.
Il libro è a disposizione a fronte di una piccola donazione (preferibilmente non inferiore agli 8 euro più spese di spedizione).
Sono previste riduzioni per gli ordini cumulativi.
Per richiedere una o più copie, scrivere a [email protected]
Un ringraziamento speciale all’editore Erga Genova che ci ha dato anche la possibilità di ordinarlo presso i suoi canali con delle piccole maggiorazioni al seguente link https://erga.it/catalogo/il-codice-violato/
Se volete organizzare una presentazione nella vostra città/paese scriveteci a [email protected]

IBFAN is present at the 158th Session of the WHO Executive Board (EB158), in Geneva, from 2 to 7 February 2026.

In the photo, representatives of IBFAN and ILCA: Patti Rundall (IBFAN UK), Laurent Gaberell (IBFAN Switzerland), Paola Gaete (IBFAN Chile and ILCA), Maryse Arendt (IBFAN Luxembourg and ILCA), and Zoe Faulkner (ILCA).

IBFAN warns that systemic failures in the production and monitoring of infant formula expose families to serious risks.

The WHO Executive Board brings together 34 Member States, responsible for setting the agenda and forwarding recommendations and draft resolutions to be considered by the World Health Assembly in May.

🔗 Find out more about IBFAN’s participation at EB158 on our website: ibfan.org/who-158th-executive-board-meeting

IBFAN - Since 1979 Protecting Breastfeeding

IBFAN believes there is an urgent need for a new WHA Resolution to update the 20 year-old WHO and Codex guidelines on intrinsic contamination of powdered formula. This could help reduce the serious health risk for infants, our most vulnerable population. The WHO Guidelines on the Safe preparation, storage and handling of powdered infant formula and the Codex Code of Hygienic Practice for Powdered Formulae for Infants and Young Children are not adequate for C botulinum, Bacillus cereus or spores that are “unlikely to be deactivated or destroyed by cooking, using boiling water or when making the infant milk.”

The recalls have highlighted systemic failures in formula and baby food production, regulatory surveillance, transparency, recall systems and crisis communication and the need for independent and regular scrutiny of manufacturing processes and facilities. The idealising online promotion and export of powdered baby food products exacerbates food safety risks, and persuades parents to unquestioningly trust products, undermining breastfeeding that can a be lifeline for children.

🔗 Read more:
https://www.ibfan.org/who-158th-executive-board-meeting/

or scan the QR Code on the card.

IBFAN - Since 1979 Protecting Breastfeeding

⚠️Soon after the ByHeart recall of its Powdered Infant Formulas (PIF) in the USA because of risk of Clostridium botulinum contamination, 60+ countries have recalled specific batches of Nestlé’s infant, follow-on, pre-term and specialised formulas, because of possible contamination by cereulide – a toxin produced by certain strains of a bacteria namely Bacillus cereus that can trigger nausea and vomiting when consumed.(1) Austria’s Health Ministry has said that the recall is the largest in the company’s history, affecting more than 800 products from over 10 Nestlé factories.

This is not verified by Nestle, a company used to food safety scandals and recalls (2) who seems to be trying to pass the blame onto the company who supplied the arachidonic acid (ARA), supposedly the source of the contamination. Initially Nestlé refused to name Cabio Biotech, a Chinese company based in Wuhan. The truth is, Nestlé is responsible for the microbiological safety and quality of both the ingredients and the final product and should have verification procedures in place to audit and select ingredient suppliers. Manufacturers should also be regularly inspected and independently audited by government authorities.

🔗 Read the full article on the website:
https://www.ibfan.org/nestles-credibility-questioned-recall-2026/

or simply scan the QR Code on the card.

IBFAN - Since 1979 Protecting Breastfeeding

🔔IBFAN WEBINAR on food safety.
📍 21 january 2026
📍 11.00 - 12.30 CET

One of our key speakers will be Yasmine Motarjemi, WHO’s Food Safety Senior Officer from 1990-2000 and Global Director of Food Safety at Nestlé and Assistant Vice-President (2000 to 2010). Yasmine will explain how she was forced to leave her job after repeatedly raising concerns about Nestlé’s mismanagementof food safety. All the time she was in post at Nestlé, her department of food quality, the cockpit of the Company,was never inspected by government authorities, not even when food incidents occurred. She refused to be silenced and became a whistleblower.

Speakers:

✅Yasmine Motarjemi, formerly WHO’s Food Safety Senior Officer (1990-2000) and Nestlé’s Global Director of Food Safety and Assistant Vice-President (2000 to 2010).
✅Elisabeth Sterken, INFACT Canada, IBFAN Global Council and Coordinator of IBFAN’s Codex team.
✅Lynn Moeng Mahlangu, IBFAN AFRICA TECHNICAL Director, former Head of Health Promotion and Nutrition in South African Ministry of Health.
✅Patti Rundall, IBFAN Global Council
✅Nigel Rollins, Professor, Queen’s University, Belfast. Formerly WHO Maternal Child Health

💡 Participation requires advance registration. Full details available on the website:
https://www.ibfan.org/ibfan-webinar-on-food-safety-with-yasmine-motarjemi-nestle-whistleblower/

IBFAN - Since 1979 Protecting Breastfeeding