Formula companies quadruple spending on “problematic” toddler milk marketing

05 Feb 2020 --- Formula companies have quadrupled their spending on toddler milk marketing in ten years, which often feature unsubstantiated claims. This is according to a paper from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut, which also highlights that this marketing push has contributed to the amount of toddler milks sold more than doubling. The rise in toddler milk sales could spell trouble for a market already struggling to combat added sugar and its subsequent health issues.

“It appears the companies want parents to think their toddlers need toddler milks – and the companies reap the benefit, not the toddlers. There is no reason for toddler milks to exist other than to increase companies’ profits. Their claims regarding cognitive development and growth are very convincing, but not scientifically proven,” Frances Fleming-Milici, Director of Marketing Initiatives for the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, tells NutritionInsight. 

She also explains that as these claims are classified as structure/function claims and not health claims, they do not require significant scientific agreement and preapproval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“The reality is that toddler milks are sweetened milk-based drinks with added nutrients that are not scientifically proven to benefit young children’s development. Moreover, they cost three to five times as much as standard milk. An expert panel representing the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association recently issued guidance recommending that parents do not serve toddler milks,” explains Fleming-Milici. 

Shifting advertising dollars from infants to toddlers
Published in Public Health Nutrition, the study used syndicated market research data to compare the total sales of infant formula and toddler milk brands (powder type products) from 2006 to 2015, as well as advertising spending during the same time.

Toddler milks are a relatively new product category and are generally marketed toward 12-36-month-olds who are too old to drink infant formula. In comparison to plain whole milk, toddler milks contain added sugars, more sodium and less protein. Nonetheless, between 2006 and 2015, the annual volume sales of toddler milks increased from 47 million to 121 million ounces.

The study also found that marketing factors, including lower prices, number of displays in stores, and the cumulative impact of TV advertising spending, were significantly associated with the volume of toddler milks sold in a given month and county. This was true both for individual brands and the total category. Furthermore, sales of toddler milks were significantly higher in counties with a higher percentage of college-educated individuals.

Toddler milks are often stocked next to infant formula in the store, which can be confusing. Specifically, TV advertising for toddler milk brands increased from less than US$5 million annually in 2006-2008 to more than US$20 million annually in 2013-2015. In contrast, TV advertising for infant formula brands peaked in 2010 at over US$60 million and then declined to approximately US$5 million in 2015. Infant formula sales also declined by 7 percent during this time.

In 2014 and 2015, formula companies spent approximately twice as much to advertise toddler milks on TV compared to infant formula. Companies also reduced the average price per ounce of toddler milk while increasing the average price per ounce of infant formulas.

“Packaging designed to confuse”
Companies that make infant formula have moved their advertising dollars from formula to toddler milks – and the payoff has been great for them, states Fleming-Milici. “However, when a new type of product is introduced, it takes the public health and medical community some years to catch up in terms of research and understanding. Parents want to make informed decisions about how to feed their children, but companies make that difficult. Toddler milk packaging appears to be designed to confuse parents, not inform them,” she continues. 

Fleming-Milici also highlights that while the FDA strictly regulates the nutritional composition of all formulas meant for babies under 12 months, toddler milks are not regulated in the same way. Other confusing elements include the stocking of toddler milks next to infant formula in the store, with similar brand names and packaging as infant formulas offered by the same manufacturers. Faced with this, many parents and caregivers have difficulty distinguishing between these product categories and the appropriate product for their child’s age.

High sugar intake can lead to obesity, which is linked with other non-communicable diseases such as cancer. In this space, the World Cancer Research Fund International (WCRF) is calling for tighter global restrictions on marketing food and non-alcoholic beverages high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) to children. Kate Oldridge-Turner, Head of Policy & Public Affairs at WCRF, told NutritionInsight how 40 percent of cancers could be prevented if everyone had healthier lifestyles, which includes eating a healthy diet. 

By Katherine Durrell