FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe
Mundhe said the country’s exclusive breastfeeding rate for babies under six months of age has come down from 63.7% to 55.8% in five years While issuing a comprehensive compliance order. Mundhe said non-compliance will attract action under the Food Safety and Standards Act , which includes penalties of up to Rs 10 lakh for misleading advertisements or unlicensed business, Rs 5 lakh for substandard food and up to Rs 3 lakh for misbranded food. It also mandates warnings on preparation and the use of boiled water, a feeding chart and, for complementary foods, a statement that they should be introduced only after six months. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Mumbai | Silver Rate in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai | Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Petrol Price in Mumbai | Diesel Price in Mumbai | CNG Price in Mumbai | LPG Price in Mumbai Stay updated with the latest Mumbai news.
He said there is a complete ban on advertising, as well as social media and influencer promotion of formula milk and infant foods using free samples, gifts, coupons or cashback. “Infants and children under two years of age are the most vulnerable consumers,” Mundhe said. FDA inspections and surveys revealed that these products are often sold under names such as “baby cereal”, “health mix”, “stage food” or “nutrition powder” to evade prescribed standards and bypass the mandatory breastfeeding notice on packaging. “Promotion of formula milk through hospitals, pharmacies, medical conferences, e-commerce discounts, influencers, and parenting platforms directly violates the Infant Milk Substitutes Act,” Mundhe added. “Pictures of infants or women, and words such as ‘humanised’, ‘maternalised’, ‘complete food’ or ‘health food’, are prohibited,” the order stated.
The order applies to all manufacturers, brand owners, importers, re-packers, distributors, retailers, pharmacies, hospital suppliers and e-commerce platforms dealing in infant formula, infant milk food, follow-up formula, complementary infant foods, traditional infant foods, foods for special medical purposes intended for infants and feeding bottles. “They cannot decide for themselves what they are fed, and their parents rely on labelling and the advice of health workers. He noted that neither the recommended age of introduction nor preparation warnings were displayed. The order makes it mandatory for the products to carry on the front of the package in all caps prominently: “Important notice, mother’s milk is best for your baby. It also needs to include a statement that the product should be used only on the advice of a medical professional and a warning that the product is not the sole source of nutrition. Download the TOI App.
Mumbai: FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe on Tuesday linked advertisement violations by milk and infant food companies and misleading promotions by social media influencers to a decline in breastfeeding practices across urban areas.