Sarah sent me an email the other day about this and I thought it should be popped on here purely for awareness raising purposes. You may or may not know about Nestles aggressive and inappropriate marketing of its formula milk in the developing world. The issue is new to me and I am not here to preach but please go and have a look at this site: http://www.babymilkaction.org/resources/boycott/nestlefree.html (http://www.babymilkaction.org/resources/boycott/nestlefree.html)
For me it boils down to this. The water there is not sanitary. One and a half MILLION babies die every year as a result of being fed formula made up with dirty water or possibly worse, when the free samples from nestle (not allowed but hey, do you think they are bothered?) run out and mothers have to buy the formula they make up a very weak solution.
I have no problem with formula milk. Here we can make our own choices. These mothers and babies do not have the same privilege.
Nestle use aggressive sales tactics, the bribing of doctors and health workers to flog their product when they should be encouraging mothers to breastfeed.
Do go and have a look at the site as it will probably give you much better info than me, as I say it's an issue that i've only known about for 2 days. Sarah knows more so hopefully she'll be along soon.
I first started boycotting Nestle over 20 years ago- I can't believe they are still getting away with this!
yes its outrageous and the WHO have been on their case for years and each time they tow the line for a little while but always end up breaching guidelines and as Emma says at the end of the day it costs the lives of a huge number of babies who die from dysentery and diahrea (sp) as a result of not being breast fed. i have been part of this boycot for ten years (twenty years good for you caroline7758 ;)) and i try not to be preachy about it but Emma says we should post it here and she's right. this is world nestle free week, and i would urge you all to at the very least change the brand of coffee you drink if it is nescafe and go out into the net and inform yourselves about the things this company (and others) do in the name of commerce. hope its ok to bring this up here and apologees if anyone thinks its not the place. if anyone wants anymore information they can PM me and i will happily point them in the direction of websites etc.
We have a permanent no-no. Shame, I love Kit Kat!
Darn, Hubbies just come home with a large bag of aero bubbles and they are so nice :-) just checked and there Nestle :-(
pitty cos there darn nice!!
This is a Nestlé-free house.
what about kit-kats you telling me you can resisit??
Can't answer for Tim Louise but if you're asking me then it's not a problem - I really don't have a sweet tooth. Bought biscuits etc for Pete. I never eat them.
I Have a sweet tooth and a savory one so i crave salted popcorn or a bag of chocolate.
A little of what you fancy does you good :-)
Absolutely! :) :)
yes its a shame about the kit kats (and the aero) i have a real sweet tooth, but luckily nestle doesnt own all the confectionary manufactureres in the uk. just most of them. the hardest part is that they also own most of the ice cream manufactureres aswell and franchise most of the outlets so i have to be quite tough on the children when it comes to ice creams on the sea front.
actually what i meant to say was, that it is good to find out that there are like minded people on here. good on you. :-*
OH loathes them - we try and avoid them as much as possible
So what ice cream is Nestlé? (we normally buy locally made from local Itlaian restaurant.
Ice creams on the sea front will be a problem Sarah but hey, I feel my kids have to know why their mum is such a nut and if they grow up more aware of the choices they have as a human being and as a consumer then all to the good. They know why they can't have things like Bernard Matthews Turkey Torture Inc products and they agree with me in principle (although I am sure they think I'm a full time pain) that if they are going to eat meat it should actually be meat, not spleen and eyeball.
But I digress (as usual).
Green and Blacks isn't Nestle is it? :'( :'( :'( If it is.
Tomorrow I am ringing Nestle to tell them I am supporting the boycott week and actually, it's going to be a lifelong thing or until they REALLY change. The fact that Caroline and Sarah have been boycotting so long makes me think it will be the former. ::)
My daughter told me today that Cadbury's have bought out Green & Black's. Anyone know if this is true? Wonder if Cadbury's will stick to the Fairtrade agreement (not that all G&B is fairtraded anyway).
It's potentially insensitive to point out that when my wife was in hospital after giving birth, there was a noticeable correlation between affluence & attempts at breast feeding (and also real nappies). To summarise bluntly, it was (in general) the younger mums with less visible fathers who were less likely to try things that save money & could be argued as more natural (& I would argue are easier, again in general).
A lovely (but young & fairly abandoned) lady in the next bed didn't even try to breast feed, as she knew it was too hard. And she was horrified that we were using second hand "real" nappies. We're fairly fortunate financially, but from the start spent a lot less than her. Who told her that formula is easier? Because although I've never breast fed, I have had to sterilise all the stuff and it really is a p in the a.
I'm allergic to chocolate, so there's no dilemma. But Nestle really are as bad as BAT & Phillip Morris et al, claiming they just help people to exercise freedom of choice etc. Absolute balls.
I don't mean any offence to anyone by writing this, as many people have their own reasons for exercising genuine choice. But vulnerable people often think they are making a choice when they are in fact being exploited.
Quote from: grawrc on July 03, 2007, 18:30:05
This is a Nestlé-free house.
And our house too. Ice cream from farmers' market, chocolate from Lindt, coffee from Lavazza :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P
No Nestle in this house either & hasn't been for 20 years or so - in fact it might be nearly 30 years ago as it was when my eldest was a babe that I first became aware of the issue of infant formula in less developed countries. An article in Spare Rib probably - anyone remember that - I had an article published in it once but I digress! :)
Thanks for bringing this topic up Emmy- good to see the younger generation carrying on the good work.
I think Cadbury's did by Green & Blacks. Personally, I like Divine (available in Oxfam shops and some health food shops, etc..)
I'm so pleased I didn't have to faff around with bottles and that (no one even batted an eyelid even while I pushed trolley round supermarket and holding small person while breastfeeding!). All the 4 local midwives are very pro-breastfeeding and one of the health visitors is active in the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers. In one of their magazines, I recall seeing the debate about Nestle. I try to avoid Nestle wherever possible.
Yes, well done emmy for bringing this to the front of my mind again.
I was aware of the Nestle milk formula issue, but i guess i've never really thought about it enough to make a proper decision about it :-[ which is unusual for me.
From now on i'll be doing my utmost to avoid nestle products (i'm already vegetarian, only buy free range organic meat for hubby, and only use ecover or similar cleaning products) - anyone know where i can find a definitive list of what brands they own?
Ta x
I had no idea about Nestle and I think that links to OllieC's point. Information is the key to changing people's habits by giving them a variety of options.
Ollie - I can understand the 'secondhand horror' No1 child - cash was tight so had no choice but 'pre-owned' ;) No.2 I stipulated 'the baby get a new pushchair' Put it down to hormones ;D ;D
Speaking as someone who has gone down the two routes - breast and bottle - I knew second time around that it was difficult. The proof - No2 son, contented bottle fed babe, whereas with No1 we both spend the first 6 weeks in tears until I broke free of the midwife's mantra and re-asserted myself - bottle - then much happiness and sleep......
Sorry for moving the topic off track.
Goodbye KitKat and Aero BTW Tesco's Gold Blend is just as good as Nescafe.
Breast fed both my babies and then they went onto Aptamil - non nestle brand. Been a nestle free house since i went to uni and was 'educated' about them... I do wonder about 'tesco gold blend' and the like.. soooo simlar to nestle i wonder if they are 'made by' nestle... the same as Persil makes tesco and other own brand wash powder.
Quote from: OliveOil on July 03, 2007, 21:57:42
I do wonder about 'tesco gold blend' and the like.. soooo simlar to nestle i wonder if they are 'made by' nestle... the same as Persil makes tesco and other own brand wash powder.
Yes, I agree, that's why i'm after a list of what they do make so i know what to avoid x
HI
If i had a choice i would eat Cote d'or chocolate. Divine is 2 sweet for me.
Cadburys did buy Green and Blacks but they run this as a sperate company so the taste will not change.
Ice-cream - Ben and Jerrys or skinny cow :-)
Cambourne7
Blacker it is better I like it.
Quote from: tim on July 03, 2007, 17:54:15
We have a permanent no-no. Shame, I love Kit Kat!
Well, you wouldn't love it any more. The biscuit's no lomger crisp, and the chocolate is cheap-o Nestles crap. :(
That's more of a reason to boycott them than anything else IMO.
Have also heard that the body shop has a link to Nestle, could anyone confirm the truth in this! . I love their Hemp products, but am quite prepared to go without to support the ban!!!
We are banning Nestle in this house too. Think it is shocking and immoral what they are doing in the third world. I breast fed both of my babies. My second child I breast fed her till she was two and a half, which I am very proud of. I gave up when she was ready to give up. I breast fed anywhere and everywhere, you name it I breast fed there, and I am sure no one was any the wiser. If you are able to do it, then it is the best possible start for your children. busy_lizzie
kitten, here is a link to a nestle product list which tells you all the companies which are owned by nestle or from which nestles profit. yes it includes body shop.
http://www.babymilkaction.org/pages/products.html
grawc, when i say ice cream i meant ice lollies. they do make ice cream but as you say there are plenty of independant ice cream makers in the uk including my favourite new forest ice creams.
is there any way of getting a list of nestle products for people, and a petition, like we did about the fuel charge..make 'em sit up and take notice ? :)
sorry, missed the above post :(
i was feeling smug :-[ until i read the list cross and blackwell ,bransons shreaded wheat and my cat eats felix shopping day tomorrow have to do a bit of small print reading
marg
i fed all 3 of my babies i think people forget thats what boobs are for
The general public inthe Netherlands is not aware of the wheelings and dealings of Nestle (or other multinationals for that matter). I think just a small group of people here know about their 'marketing strategies' in the Third World and a consumer boycott is not even considered.
I am glad that it is more of a public issue in the UK and will gladly give up Nestle products. Now that I know I'm not the only one it makes more sense to avoid their products.
As I work in media, this issue is now brought to the attention of some critical journalists. Hope it leads to more awareness in this country.
Thanks for the info and the links.
thanks for the list - I had no idea they were associated with so many products. Especially surprised at the Body Shop.
Quote from: Marymary on July 03, 2007, 21:27:30
Thanks for bringing this topic up Emmy- good to see the younger generation carrying on the good work.
Not me! Was Sarah who brought it to my attention with v polite email. I did a bit of research and was amazed I'd never come across this before. As it was the boycott week, which is about raising awareness I thought a post on here would be appropriate. I had an inkling there would be lots of people on here already supporting the boycott ;D
Another Nestle-free zone here, ever since Small Triff was on the way, eight-plus years ago and counting. :)
When Small and Tiny Triff were born I donated milk for the west London milk bank for several months. Much of it goes to feed very premature babies for whom formula just ain't good enough and whose own mums aren't able to feed them. The milk bank was run by midwives and nurses who'd pretty much all done stints working in 'developing' countries and faced the reality of what damage formula feeding does in those circumstances. I don't think any of the milk donor mums have used a Nestle product since.
Edit: Oh, and you're right about Cadbury's and G&B. It happened in May.
http://www.chocolatetradingco.com/magazine.asp?section=3&id=51
Triff, that's amazing! I donated to the bank while I was in hospital but there was no mention from the midwives of carrying on once I had gone home which I certainly would have done. Maybe it's individual to the hospital how they run the scheme.
Here is a link to luvverly Nestle to tell them that you are boycotting : http://www.nestle.com/ (http://www.nestle.com/)
Do you think it would be good if those that have been part of this for a long time e-mail Nestle to let them know just how long you've been doing it?