Case Study Zainab
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Transcript of Case Study Zainab
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8/3/2019 Case Study Zainab
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CASE STUDY:NESTLE THE INFANT FORMULA CONTROVERSY
SUMMARY:
In this case the issue which is discussed is related to Nestle, infant foodcontroversy .Nestle is a multinational company as we all know but due to its
negligence ,it did not fulfill its corporate social responsibility, so it was a cause of
international boycott of Nestle because the company did not educate the people in
a proper way about the method of using a formula product .So most of the mothers
were incapable of using that infant formula product which led to the death of
infants in third world countries .The charges focus on the advertisement and
marketing of such type of products which led to a misconception in the mind of
mothers and they thought formula products are better than breast milk andreplace mothers feed with bottle feeding ,it was the main cause of infants death
in third world countries because and marketing of formula products discouraged
breast feeding .For example: mothers in Peru , the water which they used for
bottle feeding was dangerous for infants because that water came from
contaminated river and it was full of diseases due to which babies suffered from
diarrhea and vomiting. Most of the mothers in Third World were incapable of the
proper method of using such products and they filled the feeding bottle with a
small amount of formula andlarge amount of water ,due to which babies suffered
extreme malnutrition due to such problems many infants were died in Third World
because their mothers misused formula because company did not give basic
education to the mothers of using formula and due to misconception of mothers
many infants died. Nestle gave some points for their defense and argued that
company never discouraged breast feeding and said that company believes that
there is no best food for babies other than breast feeding and encourages breast
feeding. Nestle gave its points that company made a substitute for breast milk and
said that infant formula is an addition to the infant nutrition and supplement ofbreast milk because most of the mothers have some dietary deficiency and when
they feed their babies could grow properly according to their age because their
mothers feed could not fulfill their body requirement and infants became deficient
of nutrients .So for such issues bottle feeding is a substitute of breast feeding.
Many women in Third World give bottle feeding to their infants because of their
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working schedules. The formula was considered better substitute of breast
feeding as compared to other feeding substitute such as rice water, corn water,
condensed milk because these substitutes contain contaminated water as well as
tradition native weaning food are made by mixing maize ,rice or flour with water
and cook the mixture ,so water ,cooking oil and cooking container all were
contaminated and their nutritional quality is also low thats why formula is a better
substitute of breast feeding than other products. Nestle continued marketing its
product in the developing countries but with a change in the advertisement and
marketing of product to strengthen the emphasis on a importance of breast
feeding but in 1978, the company was banned .In Resolution Nestle supports the
WHO (world health organization code) that Nestle will continue to promote breast
feeding and will not discourage breastfeeding . In 1977, a case was compiled
against formula feeding in developing nations and under developing nations as well
and they launched boycott against Nestle products and also lobbied many
organization of world and WHO In 1982 Nestle formed Nestle infant Formula
Audit Commission (NIFAC) and NIFAC recommend clarifications in instructions.
.UNICEF and WHO held a meeting on infant and young child feeding .In
1978,Nestle stopped consumer marketing and direct sampling to mothers and adopt
articles of the WHO code .After that Nestle made some policies: no free suppliers
to hospitals ,no sampling to mothers and no advertisement to general public.
Environmental change give rise to Nestle because breast milk is considered to be
the cause of HIV infection in newly born babies, so in those areas where mothers
are infected there bottle feeding is best option to feed their infants but in some
areas mothers do not carry virus and there breast feeding is best to feed their
babies instead of bottle feeding.
QUESTION & ANSWERS:
Q1: WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMPANIES IN THIS OR
SIMILAR SITUATION?
ANS: The companies should study the social and medical effect of their product
and services. The companies should so such type of research before advertising
their products. The companies should educate the customer about the product
which they are marketing. Company should not discourage any other substitute of
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their product. The information of the product should be written in the language of
the places where the product is being distributed so that there should be no
misconception in a mind of customer .The companies should know their social
responsibility and when companies advertise their product in Third World, they
should give some basic educational detail for use.
Q2: WHAT COULD NESTLE HAVE DONE TO HV AVOIDED THE
ACCUSATIONS OF KILLING THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES AND STILL
MARKET ITS PRODUCT?
ANS: Nestle could change their advertising strategies. They could decide to
promote health program related brands and should educate women about formula
product and inform them about proper use of formula. Nestle should encourage
breast feeding and promote breast feeding as well by telling mothers that breast
feeding is a best nutrition for babies but bottle feeding is a supplement of breast
feeding to add more nutrients for a baby because there are many problems in
Third world countries due to which mothers could not feed their babies properly
like in working schedules and in Third World in poor families mostly mothers are
dietary deprived and they could not fulfill nutrients requirements by breast
feeding so they can use formula product for better growth of babies. In this way
Nestle can still advertise its product.
Q3: AFTER NESTLEs EXPERIENCE, HOW DO U SUGGEST IT, OR ANY
OTHER COMPANY, CAN PROTECT ITSELF IN FUTURE?
ANS: Any company which produce substitute food product for infant, there should
be nutrients available in such product and they should advertise and market their
product in such a way they can attract customers need and satisfy need of their
customer by fulfilling their needs rather than discouraging other substitute of
product because it gives bad impression of a company. Companies should know the
ethics of the countries where they are promoting and advertising their products
.Companies should also search the demographic of the areas where they are
marketing their products to avoid problems.
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Q4: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO NESTLE NOW IN LIGHT OF
THE NEW PROBLEM OF HIV INFECTION BEING SPREAD VIA MOTHERS
MILK?
ANS: In the light of the new problem of HIV infection being spread via mothersmilk, the advice which I would give is that now bottle feeding formula is needed
because breast feeding is the cause of HIV infection in new born babies. So Nestle
should advertise their formula product with proper usage because in some areas
where mother feeding is a cause of death of infants due to infection ,in such
places bottle feeding is the cause of survival for infants ,so Nestle should properly
market its formula product .
Q5:ASSUME YOU ARE THE ONE WHO HAD TO MAKE FINAL DECISION ON
WHETHER OR NOT TO PROMOTE AND MARKET NESTLES BABY FORMULA
IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES?
ANS: If i had to make final decision then according to my opinion, Nestle should
promote Nestle s baby formula in Third World countries but with proper
instructions and education should be given to mothers because Nestle was blamed
unjustly because mothers misused the formula product due to lack of education of
using formula and company argued that they never discourage breast feeding, they
just made a substitute product of breast feeding .Nestle s baby formula should bepromoted but company should keep promoting breast feeding but ensure that when
substitutes are needed they will be of best quality.