Feed write to leading organisations asking them to rethink support for BFLG food bank guidelines

In January 2020, Feed wrote to a number of key organisations who are part of the Baby Feeding Law Group (BFLG) asking them to reconsider their endorsement of the BFLG guidelines for foodbanks that advised against providing formula. This included; the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of GP’s.

We said:

The [BFLG] guidelines are a barrier to some UK foodbanks accepting donations of, and providing, infant formula to formula feeding families in crisis. This policy is putting infants at risk and new guidelines that respond to public need and safety are urgently required. 

We are writing to request you reconsider your endorsement of the BFLG guidelines, and to ask that you consider updating your position to better reflect the needs and safety of families living in poverty in the UK.

As a solution we propose an updated guideline (attached) for foodbanks to recommend that: 

1. Foodbanks should make specific requests for Stage 1 Infant Formula Milk only.

2. Stage 1 Infant formula to be provided upon request and after appropriate referral.

3. Infant formula should not be displayed on ‘help yourself’ tables in foodbanks.

4. Breastfeeding and combination feeding families should be referred to local breastfeeding support groups and receive continued support from their health care providers, as appropriate.

The Royal College of Midwives were the only organisation to reply and they told us:

If a family are at the point of having nothing to feed a baby, then we need to support them properly and not just give them a sticking plaster tin of formula.

We have addressed the sticking plaster analogy before, and were dissapointed that the organisations whose job is to support families, especially women and babies, are unable to support the direct provision of first infant formula alongside referral for longer term support.