The WHO Code: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Protects All Families
- mfalqurashi
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
If you’ve ever wondered why some baby feeding products are advertised everywhere and others are not, or why your midwife or health visitor can’t recommend a particular bottle or formula brand, the answer often comes back to something called The WHO Code.
You might also hear people call it “The Code”.It sounds complicated, but at its heart it’s simply about protecting parents, protecting babies, and making sure families get honest, unbiased information.
Here’s an easy guide for parents, peer supporters and anyone curious about how infant feeding is marketed in the UK.
What is the WHO Code?
The full name is the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.It was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1981 after growing concern about the way baby feeding products were being marketed around the world.
The Code isn’t a rulebook for parents.It’s a set of rules for companies and governments to follow in order to:
• protect breastfeeding
• protect families who use formula
• ensure that information about feeding is clear, factual and free from pressure
• stop aggressive marketing that can mislead parents
.
The Code is not anti-formula. It’s anti-misleading-advertising.
Why was the Code created?
Before the Code existed, formula companies often promoted their products as superior to breastfeeding.This kind of marketing contributed to mothers believing their milk was not “good enough”, leading to early weaning and serious health consequences—especially in countries where clean water and sterilisation were difficult.
The Code was created to prevent this kind of harm by ensuring that parents received accurate information, not sales tactics.
What does the Code actually do?
The Code covers the marketing of:
• infant formula
• follow-on formula
• any food or drink marketed as suitable for babies under six months
• feeding bottles
• teats
It does not cover breast pumps or dummies/pacifiers.
The Code says companies must:
• avoid advertising directly to parents
• avoid giving free samples to parents or health workers
• avoid gifts, sponsorship, or branded items in healthcare settings
• provide labels that are clear, accurate and easy to understand
• avoid making claims that idealise formula or suggest it is “better”
Importantly:It does not restrict the sale of formula or limit parents’ choice. It simply ensures that decisions are made based on facts, not marketing hype.
Does the WHO Code apply in the UK?
Yes and no.
The UK does have legislation, called The Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula Regulations, but they only include some parts of the Code.
This means:
• advertising of formula for babies under six months is restricted
• formula for older babies can still be advertised widely
• baby food companies can use similar branding to promote all their products (a loophole)
• enforcement is limited, so breaches are rarely prosecuted, As a result, many UK parents still see a lot of formula and bottle-related marketing, especially online.
Why does the Code matter for breastfeeding families?
Breastfeeding can be sensitive and vulnerable to outside influence.Research consistently shows that aggressive marketing undermines breastfeeding by:
• promoting unnecessary “specialist” formulas
• suggesting normal newborn behaviour indicates low supply.
• encouraging early weaning.
• creating doubt in parents’ ability to breastfeed.
The Code helps protect families by ensuring they’re not pushed away from breastfeeding by clever advertising or targeted social media strategies.
Why does the Code matter for formula-feeding families?
This is the part many people don’t realise: the Code protects all families.
For parents who use formula, the Code helps ensure:
• formula meets strict safety and quality standards
• instructions are clear and based on evidence
• no misleading claims suggest one brand is “better”
• no pressure to buy unnecessary expensive milks
• no false promises about helping sleep, digestion or “better brains”.
Parents deserve honest, unbiased information to choose the right product for their baby without marketing confusing things.
Why does the Code matter for professionals and peer supporters?
Families trust health workers, Marketing companies know this and target professionals with:
• sponsored education
• free samples
• branded gifts
• subtle advertising in resources, equipment and conferences
The Code helps ensure care remains independent and evidence-based, not influenced by brand relationships.
This is why UNICEF's Baby Friendly (and IBCLE) standards require:
• no commercial advertising in services,
• no brand-sponsored gifts or materials
• no contact between company reps and pregnant or postnatal families
• only science-based, unbiased information given to parents.
This protects both families and professionals.
What does this look like in practice?
For parents and peer supporters, it may mean:
• no formula adverts in clinics, children’s centres or health visitor offices
• no free branded pens, bags or growth charts
• no one recommending a specific formula brand
• information offered equally to breastfeeding and formula-feeding families
• support that is centred on choice, not marketing messages
It does not mean:
• judging parents who use formula
• withholding information
• limiting access to formula
• making parents feel guilty
The aim is simply to make decisions easier and safer.
So why does the WHO Code matter today?
Marketing shapes how we feel, what we buy, and what we think our babies need.In the UK, the formula industry spends millions annually on advertising.Parents deserve protection from:
• pressure
• guilt-inducing messages
• confusing branding and misleading claims.
The WHO Code is one of the tools that helps ensure parents, however they feed their baby get clear, honest, factual and respectful information.
It supports breastfeeding and formula feeding by keeping commercial influence in check.
In summary
• The WHO Code is about marketing, not parenting
• It protects families from biased or misleading information.
• It supports breastfeeding by removing commercial pressure.
• It supports formula-feeding families by ensuring products are safe and responsibly marketed.
• It helps professionals maintain independence and trust.
• It ensures parents’ feeding decisions are based on facts, not advertising.
Every family deserves support without influence from commercial interests. This is the heart of the Code.
Marion Frey-AlQurashi Mindful Breastfeeding Practitioner & Certified Lactation Specialist.
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