INFANT FORMULA SAFETY: FAO/WHO: Carrageenan Safe in Infant Formula

FAO/WHO: Carrageenan Safe in Infant Formula

Rachel Adams

July 29, 2014 - Blog

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At its 79th meeting in June, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) completed an in-depth review of the science related to the safety of carrageenan and found it safe for use in infant formula, including formula for special medical purposes.

After reviewing available research on carrageenan safety, particularly a new study of piglets that is representative of human infants consuming carrageenan in infant formula, JECFA concluded that “the use of carrageenan in infant formula or formula for special medical purposes at concentrations up to 1000 mg/L is not of concern."

The safety of carrageenan—a soluble fiber made from red seaweed and used as a stabilizer in food—has been a topic of much debate. In 2012, FDA rejected a petition filed by Joanne Tobacman, Ph.D., a physician-scientist at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, asking the agency to revoke regulation permitting the use of carrageenan as a food additive. Tobacman claimed carrageenan and its breakdown product created dangerous inflammation.

The ingredient stirred so much commotion that some manufacturers removed or pledged to remove it from their organic products, particularly within the dairy foods/drinks segment.

And the controversy hasn’t blown over yet—at least, not completely. According to information in the March issue of the Boardroom Journal, “Navigating Consumer Activism," carrageenan is one of several ingredients on consumers’ social media “hit lists," meaning it’s been picking up negative buzz across various social media platforms. Other ingredients to make the hit list include high-fructose corn syrup, brominated vegetable oil and MSG, among others.

Some critics of carrageenan have cited scientific findings in regulatory comments or in social media that refer to animal testing using poligeenan, a substance sometimes improperly referred to as “degraded carrageenan" that is never used in foods. However, research has shown that food grade carrageenan is safe and binds so tightly to protein that it cannot be broken down into poligeenan during digestion.

“The carrageenan we use today in food has undergone strenuous review by numerous regulatory agencies around the world and in every single case it has been declared safe," said Marinalg International President Bill Matakas. “Its unique abilities to stabilize food, to replace fat or to extend shelf life in certain uses make it an important asset in not just the enjoyment of food, but also in the effort to provide safe, affordable food—including infant formula—to all parts of the world."

As recently as 2013, U.S. regulatory agencies continued approval of carrageenan for use in organic infant formula and other organic foods.

JECFA is a scientific review panel that evaluates the safety of food additives. Its reports are used to guide food additive regulatory approvals around the world. Carrageenan was one of four food additives reviewed in 2014 for use in infant formula by a special JECFA committee.

Infant formula exports are booming

Infant formula exports booming

JUDITH GALTRY0

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OPINION: Infant formula is New Zealand's export superstar. However, does this trade undermine best health and nutrition practice globally and, if so, what can be done about it?

Ministry of Economic Development figures show that in 2009 formula exports were worth $753 million to the New Zealand economy, up from $63 million in 1999. Business commentators suggest formula export income may now be around $1 billion.

As one of the world's leading milk powder producers and exporters, New Zealand is benefiting from the expansion in large, emerging offshore infant formula markets, particularly in East Asia.

After the US, China is currently the largest infant formula market in the world - worth US$6 billion (NZ$7.43 billion) in 2011 - and is projected to double by 2016.

The phase-out of infant formula tariffs agreed to under the 2008 New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement has helped New Zealand's infant formula export boom. New Zealand is currently the second largest offshore infant formula provider for the Chinese market (18 per cent share), after Singapore (37 per cent), and ahead of Australia (15 per cent).

Multimillion dollar processing plants (some part or wholly Chinese-owned) are springing up in New Zealand to manufacture formula for China's rapidly expanding market, where a can of formula (costing around $20 in New Zealand) can sell for over NZ$70 a can. Recent moves by New Zealand dairy exporters toward exporting "added value", pre-constituted formula (rather than raw milk powder) has led to these high price margins, with some calling it the new gold rush.

In New Zealand, the trend of buying large quantities of formula from supermarkets for illegal export to China has led to purchase restrictions in many retail outlets. In China, unethical marketing practices, including industry representatives approaching new mothers in hospitals with formula samples, exploit opportunities created by urbanisation, growth of the middle classes, increased maternal employment, higher disposable incomes and the one- child policy.

Middle-class Chinese parents, with just one child to invest in, are willing to pay premium prices for formula from safe suppliers. On top of that, following China's 2008 melamine infant feeding scandal, infant food safety fears have led to demand for products from perceived "high quality" sources such as New Zealand.

While the detrimental environmental effects of dairy industry expansion have been debated recently in New Zealand, the potential health effects of the infant formula trade have been largely overlooked.

In 2012, Unicef expressed concern about sharply declining breastfeeding rates, including exclusive breastfeeding of babies under six months, in East Asia, and about companies' marketing and lobbying tactics. The same year, Wikileaks exposed efforts by United States corporations to persuade Asian leaders to stop breastfeeding promotion. A 2013 report by Save the Children shows a fall in China's breastfeeding rates, including exclusive breastfeeding of infants under six months.

Not breastfeeding exclusively increases the risk of infant morbidity and mortality. This risk is greatly increased where there is poor water quality and sanitation and where parents are illiterate and unable to read formula preparation instructions.

Media reports have recently highlighted serious water pollution issues in China, while in 2012 Unicef reported good sanitation facilities were available to only 58 per cent and 52 per cent of China's urban and rural populations respectively.

Part of the global framework for protecting breastfeeding and babies fed on formula is the restrictions placed on infant formula marketing in the World Health Organisation's International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, 1981 (WHO Code). In China, several WHO Code principles are enacted in law, but there is reportedly little enforcement and few penalties for breaches, including for promoting formula for newborns and babies. A Save the Children survey in China found 40 per cent of mothers who were interviewed reported being contacted directly by formula companies. Most were recommended products or offered free samples.

New Zealand signed the WHO Code in 1983 and implements it under three voluntary and self- regulatory codes, along with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. New Zealand's voluntary industry agreement applies to infant formula manufacture and importing within New Zealand, including restricting formula marketing for infants under six months. In Australia, industry-agreed marketing controls are stronger, applying to infants under 12 months.

Currently, industry standards for infant formula manufacture and marketing within New Zealand are stronger than those governing our exports. Export standards (under consideration) include some exemptions on formula composition and a blanket exemption for labelling, requiring only that these meet importing countries' requirements. Some New Zealand exporters targeting East Asian markets are promoting formula for babies.

There are now calls from within our dairy sector for "alignment" of New Zealand's infant formula standards. But given less consideration are the ethical and public health implications for New Zealand as a major infant formula producer and exporter. Despite debates about the adequacy of national efforts, we try to promote and support breastfeeding among our own population. By contrast, we are potentially undermining breastfeeding practice in China and other countries where we know breastfeeding protection is weaker.

So what could New Zealand do? While various international health and trade agreements for marketing infant formula exist, they depend on implementation and enforcement in individual countries. New Zealand and Australia, countries that are influential in China's babyfood market, could take a moral leadership role by requiring all their exporters to comply with the WHO Code or, at least, their own domestic industry agreements, so that standards for infant formula marketing both within and beyond Australasia are consistent.

As in industrialised countries, balancing good child health outcomes (including breastfeeding), maternal employment and gender equity will be complex in China. While New Zealand could show leadership in terms of the marketing of infant formula exports, much of the solution lies with China. This requires good maternity leave systems and WHO Code enforcement, along with other factors including implementation of WHO and Unicef's Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative.

The world media have already highlighted the environmental costs of dairying in New Zealand. This could be compounded by potential charges of unethical infant formula marketing. In the same way the industry is making some effort to solve its environmental issues, the export superstar could support "best practice" child health policy globally and not undermine it.

Dr Judith Galtry is an adjunct fellow at the Australian Centre for Economic Research on Health, Australian National University.

DANONE INVESTS €325M TO SPEED DEVELOPMENT OF DAIRY SECTOR IN CHINA

Published May 24, 2013 in Food Product Design

PARIS—Danone announced it will invest approximately €325 million in partnerships to strengthen and accelerated the development of fresh dairy products in China.

Danone signed a joint venture agreement with COFCO, the state-owned largest food company in China. COFCO will sell 148,014,022 shares in China Mengniu Dairy Company to the joint venture—COFCO and Danone will own 51% and 49% respectively in the newly formed company. Danone will become a strategic shareholder in Mengniu, owning an indirect interest of approximately 4% at the initial stage, with the goal to increase the interest in Mengniu based on market conditions in the future.

Danone and Mengniu also signed a framework agreement to establish a joint venture for the production and sales of chilled yogurt products in China, combining their respective assets in this category for a total 2012 pro forma net sales of about €500 million, with an estimate market share around 21% and 13 factories across China.

Danone will own 20% and Mengniu 80% of the new joint venture in China. The partnership will achieve synergies by introducing Danone’s expertise in quality and product innovation, while leveraging Mengniu’s leadership and distribution capability in China’s yogurt category.

Danone will invest approximately €325 million as a result of the two projects. The cooperation will help Mengniu to leverage Danone’s leading product innovation and management capability in the Fresh Dairy category. Danone’s BIO (Activia) brand will put the new fresh dairy business in a solid position to build its strong leadership in the active health sector.

“Joining the strengths of Danone, COFCO and Mengniu will create the winning combination to unlock the potential of the fresh dairy products category in China," said Franck Riboud, Danone Chairman and CEO. “Backed by COFCO’s extensive expertise in the Chinese food industry and by Mengniu’s nationwide leading platform in the dairy sector, our brands will benefit from significantly wider reach to the largest number of Chinese consumers."

Mengniu recently signed a international partnership with Arla Foods; however, this partnership is unaffected by the agreement. COFCO’s and Mengniu’s strategic partnership with Arla Foods is unaffected by the agreement.

“Arla welcomes Danone as Mengniu’s partner in the locally produced chilled yogurt category. Together with our ongoing initiatives in the Arla/Mengniu milk technology center in Beijing, we are confident that Danone’s engagement in Mengniu will increase consumers’ trust in locally produced dairy products - for the benefit of all players in the Chinese dairy market," said Finn S. Hansen, executive vice president of Arla Foods and member of Mengniu’s board of directors.

Earlier this month, Danone signed an agreement to acquire more than 90% equity interest in New York-based Happy Family, the fourth largest maker of baby food in the United States. The strategic alliance will raise the bar for children’s nutrition in the United States by combining both companies shared commitment to social responsibility and innovation.

Sources:

• Danone: COFCO, Mengniu and Danone Join Forces to Accelerate the Development of Fresh Dairy Products in China

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Written by Bruce MacDonald, a 30 year veteran of the Agri-food industry, in "Social Media Marketing in Agri-Foods: Endless Profit and Painless Gain", Bruce applies his background and expertise in Agri-foods and social media to the latest trends, tools and methodologies needed to craft a successful on-line campaign. While the book focuses on the Agri-food market specifically, I believe that many of the points Bruce makes are equally applicable to most other industries.

Baby Infant formula is in short supply in Britain, Netherlands, Hong Kong and China

Associated Press researcher Yu Bing contributed to this report from Beijing.

BERLIN (AP) — Yong-Hee Kim still can't believe that in a prosperous country like Germany, powdered baby formula would ever be rationed and that she would have to scour shops in the German capital to find the right brand for her 13-month-old son.

But that's what has happened since major retailers in Germany this year began limiting sales of leading brands of baby formula. Parents in Britain, the Netherlands and Hong Kong have faced similar restrictions.

The reason for the sudden shortage is a quirk of globalization — one that illustrates the complexities of supply and demand in a wired world.

Parents thousands of miles away in China have been using the Internet or tapping friends and relatives in Europe to buy up stocks of high quality European-produced formula — often paying much higher prices than they would here.

Chinese demand for foreign brands soared after drought in Australia and New Zealand cut supplies from China's major sources of imported baby formula. Chinese parents who have enough money have largely shunned local brands since a contaminated milk scandal in 2008 left six babies dead and another 300,000 sick.

With Chinese consumers turning to sources abroad, major retail outlets in Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Hong Kong have limited sales of several leading brands of baby formula. In Europe, parents have been stockpiling the milk powder at home, further intensifying the shortage.

"They don't sell more than three boxes of formula per store anymore. So my husband and I are checking out all those stores, running from A to B, to make sure we can get the right baby milk powder for our son," Kim said as she watched her son at a playground in Berlin's leafy Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood.

"We even end up paying two, three or four euros more for a box," she sighed. "It's really annoying."

In Germany, the run on powdered milk started in February, according to dm, a major chain of drug stores, which are the main retail outlets for baby food in this country.

Sales clerks at stores in major tourist venues, including international airports and Berlin's Friedrichstrasse train station, noticed Chinese travelers piling shopping carts to the brim with boxes of one popular brand, Aptamil.

"We noticed that due to extremely high demand we weren't able to provide enough Aptamil baby food," said Christoph Werner, a spokesman for dm. "So we decided to limit the amount of Aptamil products temporarily."

Hong Kong also announced curbs in February on baby formula purchases by customers from mainland China. The multinational food company Danone in Britain said it had significantly increased the production of Aptamil, after leading supermarket chains Tesco and Sainsbury's said they had to limit formula sales. Stores elsewhere in Europe also limited sales of two other popular brands — Milumil and Cow & Gate.

"We understand that the increased demand is a result of unofficial exports to China to satisfy the needs of Chinese parents who want international brands for their babies," Danone said in a statement.

In China, however, the perspective is different.

Ma Zhigao, who lives in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, turned to his brother-in-law in Germany for supplies of Aptamil to feed his 2-year-old son. He soon realized a lot of his fellow Chinese were anxious to get hold of foreign formula.

He set up a side business buying formula abroad, supplying his family and selling the surplus online. The sales restrictions in Germany are cutting into his business.

"Following the ban from Germany, my business suffered a sudden decline, and after our own consumption, I have almost nothing left," said Ma, who works in construction. "I even have to calculate carefully to save enough for my child. I'm seriously considering closing my online business now."

Even regular Chinese retailers are feeling the pinch.

The Shenzhen Jiulong Trading Company used to sell dozens of boxes of imported formula each day but is now worried about shrinking supplies.

"We sell Aptamil formula to Chinese parents who don't have much trust in domestic brands," said Huang Juan, a sales manager. "We used to import from New Zealand, but due to the sales ban from the New Zealand government, we have been suffering shortages."

Between eager Chinese buyers and worried Germans hoarding supplies, demand for Aptamil in this country went up by more than four percent in the past year and would have probably gone up higher if outlets hadn't restricted sales.

"We've already reacted and increased our production," said Heike Mueller, a spokesman for Milupa, which is owned by Danone and produces Milumil.

Mueller told The Associated Press that the company has hired more workers at its plant in Fulda in southwestern Germany and expanded its 24-hour telephone hotline, which parents can call if they can't find enough formula in their local stores.

In some cases, he said, the company has sent families extra boxes of formula to make sure the babies can get enough.

"We have also received requests from so-called companies in China asking if they could import our products directly, but we've rejected all those demands strictly," Mueller said. "Our priority is to deliver enough products to mothers and fathers in Germany."

Check out my latest e-book entitled: "Social Media Marketing in Agri-Foods: Endless Profit and Painless Gain".  

The book is available on Amazon and Kindle for $4.99 USD. Visit amazon/Kindle to order now:
http://www.amazon.ca/Social-Media-Marketing-Agri-Foods-ebook/dp/B00C42OB3E/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1364756966&sr=1-1

Written by Bruce MacDonald, a 30 year veteran of the Agri-food industry, in "Social Media Marketing in Agri-Foods: Endless Profit and Painless Gain", Bruce applies his background and expertise in Agri-foods and social media to the latest trends, tools and methodologies needed to craft a successful on-line campaign. While the book focuses on the Agri-food market specifically, I believe that many of the points Bruce makes are equally applicable to most other industries.