Marketing of infant formula and the role of the Health Care Worker

Presenter: Tanya van Aswegen APD, MPH
About:

The inappropriate marketing of commercial milk formula has shaped our societal and professional norms, values and beliefs around infant and young child feeding. Formula milk marketing, not the product itself, disrupts informed decision making through the deliberate misuse and distortion of scientific information to exploit parental emotions and aspirations. This presentation will look at the latest evidence supporting the importance of The Code of Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes globally, compare The Code to the “Marketing in Australia of Infant Formulas” (MAIF) agreement and discuss the challenges faced in the digital age. It will also explore individual conflict of interest and the role of health care workers in navigating the increasingly pervasive formula milk marketing landscape.

Tanya van Aswegen is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian with over 15 years of extensive experience in clinical and public health nutrition across diverse cultural landscapes, including the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Tanya has also worked on a policy and advocacy level with esteemed organisations such as UNICEF and the World Health Organisation to improve nutrition and health outcomes for women and children at a country level. She holds a BSc Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and a Master of Public Health degree and is currently working in private practice focussing on optimising early life nutrition and specifically supporting breastfed infants with food intolerances and allergies.