Infant Nutrition Council Broadens Board Representation

Media release from Infant Nutrition Council

Infant Nutrition Council Broadens Board Representation

The Infant Nutrition Council (INC) has announced it is broadening the make-up of its board to ensure it is more representative of the entire infant formula supply chain in Australia and New Zealand – including manufacturers, marketers and brand owners.

The new board members are Guy Wills, General Manager of New Image Group, and Michael Teen, General Manager Innovation at Westland Milk Products. They join Board members from Abbott Australasia, Aspen Nutritionals, Bayer, Fonterra, Heinz, Nestlé, and Nutricia.

The board has also elected a new chairman, Reece Prewett, Director of Formulated Foods, Fonterra Co-operative Group, the largest processor of milk in the world.

Mr Prewett said the changes to the board ensured that INC would continue to represent the infant formula industry in Australia and New Zealand.

“The industry ranges from multinational food and dairy companies through to a growing number of local manufacturers and brand-owners selling infant formula both in their home markets and exporting to countries such as China. INC includes members from all these backgrounds and together they handle more than 95% of the infant formula volumes sold in Australia and New Zealand.

“It is critical that the infant formula industry has a united voice that works to promote and protect its interests in the development of policy and enforcement of regulation. INC is well placed to achieve this through its self-regulatory codes.”

Jan Carey, chief executive of the Infant Nutrition Council, said that the decision to enhance industry representation at the Board level is a positive step.

“INC’s role has traditionally been in the marketing and regulation of infant formula in Australia and New Zealand. But due to the number of new members who are exporting locally produced infant formula products, we have broadened our strategy to include focus on the integrity of the full supply chain.

“We will continue to work with government and regulatory bodies on all issues that may impact manufacturers and suppliers.”

Next week many of INC’s members will be attending the Shanghai Baby Expo – the world’s largest baby, children and maternity expo.

About the Infant Nutrition Council:

INC membership comprises the major manufacturers and marketers of infant formula in Australia and New Zealand including those who manufacture for export. (Members include; Abbott, Aspen Nutritionals, Bayer, Dairy Goat Co-operative, HJ Heinz, Nestlé, Nutricia, Fonterra, Fresco, Murray Goulburn, Tatura, A2 Corporation, GMP Pharmaceuticals, New Image, Synlait, Westland, Unitech Industries and Douglas Nutrition). It represents manufacturers, marketers and brand owners with more than 95% of the volume of infant formula sold in Australia and New Zealand.

All members abide by a Code of Conduct that provides direction on industry issues including the support of breastfeeding, food regulations and standards, food safety issues, and company representatives’ conduct and activities.

INC adheres to the local interpretations of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk

Substitutes 1981 (World Health Organisation Code). Australian marketing members are signatories to the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formulas: Manufacturers and Importers Agreement 1992 (MAIF Agreement) and in New Zealand members have adopted The INC Code of Practice for the Marketing of Infant Formula in New Zealand.

ENDS

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