The new draft decree bans all formula milk products with children image to encourage local breast feeding. --VNS File photo

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — The Ministry of Health wants to extend a ban on the use of baby photos on milk products for children under 24 months - or advertising the products in hospitals, clinics - or the media. The current ban covers milk products for babies under 12 months only.

The ministry believes that the new ban would encourage mothers to turn to breast feeding, which is considered better for young babies.

At present, manufacturers print pictures of bears, deer and cows on their tins to make them more appealing, but switch to baby images for mixtures for older babies.

The new draft also bans other measures of promoting formula milk, such as offering gifts, prizes, discounts.

The reasoning behind the move is that many consumers associate the photo of a chubby baby with their own child - and are compelled to buy.

According to Dr Nguyễn Đức Vinh from the Mother and Child Health Protection Department Ministry at the ministry, only about 20 per cent of Vietnamese mothers fully breast feed, much lower than in surrounding countries.

This may explain why 30 per cent of Vietnamese children under five are said to be stunted.

Dr Vinh said misleading advice on milk tins made many mothers think it best to give their babies formula milk as well as breast feeding.

Consumer Nguyen Thi Sen said that the promotions made the milk products more expensive. "I pay an extra VND5,000 ($2.50) for four small boxes of milk for my two-year-old son every day because they have a small card cartoon heroes on them," she said.

On Webtretho, a parenting forum with over 1.2 million members, Sen is among many who have commended the draft decree.

Thai Vuong, from Abbott Nutrition Vietnam, one of the biggest dairy companies in Viet Nam, said he had not seen the draft decree so he could not comment. — VNS