Guide on labelling of infant formula ‘cannot be overly heavy’
Senior Minister of State (Trade and Industry) Koh Poh Koon (wearing maroon collared shirt), at the Embracing PArenthood Movement event at Punggol Seas Residents Committee yesterday. Photo: The People’s Association
SINGAPORE — The task force set up to address rising prices of infant milk formula is studying how to tighten and streamline the labelling requirements with a need to strike a balance and not have “overly heavy” regulations.
Speaking to reporters at a community event, Senior Minister of State (Trade and Industry) Koh Poh Koon, who is leading the panel, said that while product labels can partially contribute to a heightened anxiety or add to misconceptions, not all labels are “egregious.”
“There’s a certain role for some of the information to be put on the tins to let consumers be aware of what’s inside ... so there’s a balance we must strike, in making it informative without making it disinformative,” he said.
He highlighted the efforts of the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority to streamline import requirements, and NTUC FairPrice’s recent roll-out of a range of formula milk that was previously exclusive to Australia.
For now, the task force is working with other retailers to see if it can bring in parallel imports and other brands to give parents more affordable choices.
Addressing misconceptions that milk powder is extremely high in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid, Dr Koh pointed out that one and a half tablespoons of salmon can provide as much DHA as 30 bottles of infant formula milk.
Hence parents need not be “overly anxious” about formula milk content, as they can supplement with nutrition from other foods once the child reaches six months, he said.
The task force is also engaging with hospitals to encourage them to adopt the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) certification, which encourages breastfeeding.
As hospitals under the scheme are barred from entering into sponsorship deals with infant formula companies, this also helps to avoid conflicts of interest.
While the task force is working with KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, which is BFHI-certified, to see how it can pass on its practices to other hospitals, especially private ones, Dr Koh acknowledged the difficulty of getting everyone on board.
They could be hampered by operational constraints or staffing requirements, for instance.
But with a lack of correct information out there, parents are still using price as a “proxy” when choosing brands, said Member of Parliament (Pasir Ris-Punggol) Sun Xue Ling, a member of the task force.
To help parents make more informed choices, the task force is working on sharing information on websites, such as those of the Health Promotion Board and Ministry of Health, and organising more community events at which nutritionists and experts can share their knowledge.
Yesterday’s Embracing PArenthood Movement celebration, organised by the People’s Association, was attended by around 80 families.
A nutritionist and health ambassadors were at the event, held in collaboration with the Health Promotion Board for the first time, to address parents’ concerns and share information on early nutrition and development.
Concise information about milk formula that is published online with a “neutral standpoint” and stripped of marketing messages would be helpful, said first-time parent Chloe Zhou, 29, who has a 11-month-old son.
She often has to turn to other mothers and parenting blogs for advice, and said: “Often, there’s too much (information) out there ... and I can’t possibly compare ingredient by ingredient across brands, so clearer specifications would be better.”
Educator Lynn Khoh, 33, who has two sons aged one and three, said she would still choose more expensive brands that are backed up by word of mouth. “It might be a risk to (switch to other brands or new products),” said Ms Khoh, who spends about $300 a month on infant milk formula. “I’ll still try to give the best (to my children).”
