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WHO Code in NZ

Te riunga ora mō ngā mokopuna – the safe pathways to children’s wellbeing

The International Code aims to contribute to providing safe and adequate nutrition for infants by protecting and promoting breastfeeding. It also aims to ensure the proper use of breast milk substitutes, when these are necessary, on the basis of adequate information and through appropriate marketing and distribution. New Zealand is a signatory of the International Code, so is committed to working towards meeting its aims.

Breastfeeding is key

Breastfeeding is key to providing the best start for New Zealand infants, and important for both infant and maternal health. The overall Ministry of Health objectives are to increase the prevalence and duration of breastfeeding for all infants. All efforts made to promote and protect breastfeeding practices in New Zealand will contribute to reducing inequalities in health between Māori and non-Māori and between Pacific and non-Pacific peoples, in the short and long term.

The Code in New Zealand

Following a review of New Zealand’s interpretation of the International Code (Ministry of Health 2004a), the Ministry has prepared a single, standard reference document – Implementing and Monitoring the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes in New Zealand: The Code in New Zealand.

This document includes the Code of Practice for Health Workers in New Zealand and the Infant Nutrition Council Code of Practice for the Marketing of Infant Formula. It will ensure the International Code is more accessible, more effectively used and more easily monitored in New Zealand. It will also ensure that it’s spirit and intent become the guiding principles for all parties concerned with infant nutrition and the health and wellbeing of New Zealand families.

In this section

  • Background to the breast-milk substitutes code
    New Zealand adopted the International Code in 1983. This page describes the implementation and monitoring of the code, through a voluntary, self-regulatory process. Read more
  • Breast-milk substitute publications
    Key documents relating to the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. Read more
  • Breast-milk substitute questions and answers
    Questions and answers relating to the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and the way it is interpreted in New Zealand. Read more
  • WHO international code
    Information on the history of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes and how it has been implemented, in New Zealand and globally. Read more
  • Code of practice for health workers
    The Health Workers’ Code represents part of the New Zealand response to international recommendations and the Ministry’s strategic objectives in relation to breastfeeding and breast-milk substitutes. This page includes a copy of the code along with some background information. Read more
  • Infant Nutrition Council Code of Practice
    The INC Code of Practice applies to the marketing of infant-formula products suitable for infants up to the age of six months. It applies to the manufacturers, marketers and distributors of infant formula. Read more
  • Compliance Panel
    Information on the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes Compliance Panel, including its membership, the terms of reference, and meeting summaries. Read more
  • Breast-milk substitutes complaints procedure
    The Ministry is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Health Workers’ Code and the INC Code of Practice. The Ministry does this by receiving complaints about potential breaches of either Code of Practice. Read more

Publications

Contact

If you have any questions or feedback on The Code in New Zealand you can email us at: code_in_nz@moh.govt.nz

Page last updated: 02 July 2009