Hassell 1

Sophie Hassell
Professor Jizi
University Writing 1103
17 November 2015
Notes
Citation:
Boyd, Colin. "The Nestl Infant Formula Controversy and a Strange Web of Subsequent
Business Scandals." J Bus Ethics Journal of Business Ethics 106.3 (2011): 283-93. Print.

Nestl, the Swiss food conglomerate, was subject to consumer boycotts in the 1970s
because of its marketing of powdered milk formula for infants in less developed
countries (Page 2).
o Consumer took action when they saw the horrible marketing of Nestl.
o Boycott demonstrated an intolerance for unethical marketing and business

practices.
The criticism was that third-world mothers were being persuaded that instant formula
was better for their babies than breast milk. Once a mother switches to powdered milk
and stops breast feeding her baby, her production of milk ceases, and the supplier has a
locked-in customer (Page 2).
o Third-world countries do not always have the best knowledge of health
information which made it easy for Nestl to take advantage. I find this absolutely
horrible.
o Anyone with a basic knowledge of third-world counties and the health safety
issues would know this so Nestl should have been aware
o Forces mothers to provide their babies with the Nestl formula which could be
way to expensive for them to afford.

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Critics of Nestle argued that persuading mothers to switch to formula feeding could
cause infant deaths in three ways: 1. babies were unprotected against illness because they
did not receive the essential antibodies contained in breast milk; 2. mothers were either
ignorant of the need to use sterilized water, or could not afford to boil water, and thus
prepared infant formula with contaminated water, and; 3. mothers could not afford the
price of the product and saved money by diluting the amount of formula in each feed,
causing malnutrition (Page 3).
o This makes me sick to think that a company could go to such extremes to grain
money.
o Great example of how some companies will become so unethical as long as they
continue to make money off of people.
o Sad to think about how many babies died in developing countries that could have
survived.

The company, Nestl has been under much criticism over the past few decades. One of
their most horrible marketing ploys include babies in third-world countries. Nestl marketed
their baby formula by distributing it for free at hospitals and by falsely telling mothers that the
formula was better for the babies than breast feeding. As a result of using the formula, babies
became susceptible to disease in the contaminated water sources, lack of key nutrients found in

Hassell 3
breast milk, and the inability for their families to afford the Nestl formula. Many babies died
and people from around the world took action, boycotting the company for their wrong doings.
Extreme examples of unethical marketing are always hard to read about. This article
pertains to my topic of ethics in marketing because it provides a sickening account to the extent
some companies are willing to go to make more money. Although this article does provide
information about the Nestl marketing controversy, it was not as good as I thought it would be. I
found other sources that provided more details about this topic, but they were not from very
credible sources. This article does provide a brief overview of what happening during the 1970s
and 1980s but was not very detailed.
This source is very credible. There is a list of its many sources at the end of the article as
well as multiple notes to inform readers of what is being discussed and where to find more. Also,
this article comes from a larger journal all about business ethics and provides information about
how the author has a background in business topics like such.