Section 4 of The Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992
4. Prohibition of incentives for use or sale of infant milk substitutes or 1[feeding bottles or infant foods].--No person shall--
- (a)supply or distribute samples of infant milk substitutes or 1[feeding bottles or infant foods] or gifts of utensils or other articles; or
- (b)contact any pregnant woman or the mother of an infant; or
- (c)offer inducement of any other kind, for the purpose of promoting the use or sale of infant milk substitutes or 1[feeding bottles or infant foods].
Summary
- It is illegal to give out free samples of infant milk substitutes, feeding bottles, or infant foods to promote their use or sale.
- You cannot give gifts of utensils or other items as an incentive to sell or promote these products.
- Nobody is allowed to contact a pregnant woman or the mother of an infant for the purpose of promoting these products.
- Any other kind of inducement meant to promote the sale or use of these products is entirely banned.
Practical examples
FAQ
1. Can a brand hand out free samples of infant food at a health clinic?
No, supplying or distributing samples to promote the product is illegal.
2. Can I offer a buy-one-get-one-free deal on feeding bottles?
No, offering an inducement of any kind to promote their use or sale is prohibited.
3. Is a company allowed to email a mother of an infant about their baby formula?
No, the law bans contacting mothers of infants to promote these items.
Test yourself
Q1.Under Section 4 of The Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992, what items cannot be given as a gift to promote infant milk substitutes?
Q2.Under Section 4 of The Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992, which two groups of people must not be contacted to promote the sale of feeding bottles?
Q3.Under Section 4 of The Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992, is it permissible to offer financial inducements like coupons to increase infant food sales?
Q4.Under Section 4 of The Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992, what rule applies to supplying free samples of feeding bottles?
Q5.Under Section 4 of The Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992, what is the illegal purpose behind contacting a mother of an infant?