ALCI WHO Code Webinar

Report written by Aine McGahon-Lavin, ALCI Secretary and Education Officer.

The ALCI WHO Code Webinar, held on 21 May 2026, highlighted the ongoing global effort to protect families from commercial pressures surrounding infant feeding. The event drew exceptional interest, with over 1,700 registrations. Engagement remained high throughout the two-hour session, and many attendees stayed online afterwards to ask further questions of the speakers.

Special thanks to Fiona Rae and Naomi Hurley of ALCI Council for facilitating the webinar and to Tracy, ALCI Administrator, whose dedicated behind the scenes work ensured the event ran smoothly. Appreciation is also extended to Sonya Quinn for her valuable support on the night and to Mairead O’Sullivan (ALCI President) and all members of ALCI Council for their ongoing work in promoting and strictly adhering to the WHO Code in all ALCI activities. 

In recognition of the Code’s 45th anniversary, ALCI invited BFLGI Chair Dr. Sarah Brennan and BFLGI Secretary Malvina Walsh to present a webinar on the WHO Code and the importance of protecting families from commercial influence. 

Malvina Walsh opened by marking this 45th anniversary of the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes, adopted in 1981. She stressed that the Code does not ban formula or force women to breastfeed. Instead, it aims to ensure that parents receive accurate and unbiased information. This is especially important today, as the formula industry is worth around $55 billion annually and uses highly advanced marketing strategies. These include data tracking, social media influencers, targeted advertising and baby tracking apps. Companies also build unethical relationships with healthcare professionals and organisations through sponsorships and funding.

Although evidence shows that strong enforcement of the Code can significantly increase breastfeeding rates, implementation is uneven. In Ireland, for example, legislation passed in 2022 to restrict online advertising of formula has not yet been fully enforced.

Dr. Sarah Brennan then discussed how normal infant behaviour is increasingly being medicalised. Common behaviours such as crying, spitting up and loose stools are often wrongly interpreted as signs of conditions like reflux or milk allergies such as cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA). This has led to a sharp rise in medical interventions, including a 1,230% increase in reflux medication prescriptions and a 773% increase in spending on specialised allergy formulas in Ireland over 22 years.

This trend raises health concerns. Some specialised formulas replace lactose with glucose syrups, increasing infants’ intake of free sugars, which are linked to obesity. Additionally, many diagnostic tools and guidelines are influenced by individuals with financial ties to formula companies. When independent experts develop guidelines, the criteria for diagnosing allergies are much stricter, helping to avoid unnecessary treatments and supporting continued breastfeeding.

The speakers also warned about emerging marketing strategies. These include promoting “combination feeding” to present formula and breast milk as equal options and introducing high tech products that monitor feeding which may increase parental anxiety.

Finally the webinar highlighted recent WHO guidance stating that from 6–12 months, regular animal milk with appropriate supplements can replace follow on formula and that formula offers no added benefits after age one. Because this challenges industry profits, formula companies are actively resisting these recommendations.

Overall, the speakers emphasised the need to legally enforce marketing bans and properly fund public, unbiased breastfeeding support services.