August 2, 2024 4:00pm by David Farrar

Plain packaging for infant formula is nuts

Farmers Weekly reports:

The Minister of Food Safety is set to take on his counterparts from all Australian states and the Federal Government on Thursday to try to save New Zealand infant formula exports to Australia and potentially to China.

Andrew Hoggard’s aim will be to amend proposed rules that would limit New Zealand producers’ abilities to showcase the ingredients of their products on packaging.

The move stems from a public push to promote breastfeeding in Australia.

You don’t promote breastfeeding by removing information about infant formula. Far too many parents are shamed anyway because of the stigma attached to formula. I know many many great mothers who used infant formula, because they deemed it necessary. Each situation is different.

Hoggard said the proposed change is not quite like cigarette package labelling, but is a bit similar, with a health-oriented labelling policy driving reform, but going too far.

In a separate comment, the chief executive of the Infant Nutrition Council, Jonathan Chew, told NewstalkZB that FSANZ has the power to make binding rules and the cost could be serious for New Zealand.

“This would be the first time any country has gone this far in removing (ingredient) information from packaging.”

I want more information, not less, on packaging.

UPDATE: Thanks goodness for good Ministers. NewstalkZB reports: