Australia Mandates Baby Formula Advertising Code

In a significant legal case, Abbott and Reckitt's Mead Johnson are barred from using a government report to defend against a lawsuit alleging that their baby formula caused a severe intestinal illness in a premature infant. The ruling coincides with a broader discussion on baby formula marketing, as Australia's federal government plans to introduce a mandatory code to regulate advertising practices, replacing the ineffective voluntary agreement currently in place. Public health advocates have praised this initiative, arguing that it will protect parents from misleading marketing tactics that exploit parental anxieties about infant feeding. Experts have raised concerns over the nutritional value and excessive sugar content of toddler milks, which are often marketed alongside infant formulas. The new regulations aim to ensure that marketing practices do not mislead parents regarding the necessity and health benefits of these products, particularly for vulnerable infants. This move comes as part of a larger push to promote breastfeeding and improve public health outcomes in Australia.