News article

Evenflo to become Code-complaint

October 25, 2007

As part of its purchase of the Ameda breast pump company, Evenflo has committed to complying with the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes. Evenflo, a maker of bottles and nipples as well as other baby goods, will change the packaging and advertising on all its products so that it will comply with the Code.

Evenflo’s decision to become compliant with the Code came as it was considering the purchase of Ameda, which has been Code-compliant. The change occurred after Nancy Mohrbacher, an IBCLC who works for Ameda, informed Evenflo that failure to comply with the Code would result in significant damage to Ameda’s brand-credibility, and may suffer a loss of many lactation consultants from the Ameda staff. Evenflo then considered changing its policies. They then asked for information from the US Code monitoring organization, the National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy, on how to become Code-compliant. With a basic explanation of the Code to Evenflo and the ramifications of remaining non-Code compliant, Evenflo decided that the right thing to do was to seek complete Code compliance.

“Evenflo’s action is highly significant,” states Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC, executive director of the National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy, and board member of the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition. “It’s a step in the right direction for corporate responsibility to the health of mothers and babies.”

As a result, Evenflo will discontinue all bottle/nipple advertising directed to consumers, change the packaging of their products to come into alignment with Code requirements, and remove all bottle and nipple images and sales from their website. It will probably take a few months for all of the packaging changes to be seen. In order to be Code-compliant, the packaging of materials related to artificial feeding cannot include idealized images of infants, or images of bottles or nipples.

See Evenflo’s press release.