• INC is the contact point for government to connect with the infant formula and toddler milk drink sector. INC engages directly with governments in Australia and New Zealand to promote and protect the interests of the industry in the development of policy and enforcement of regulations.
• INC’s international reach influences and feeds important information back to INC members and the Australian and New Zealand Governments to achieve advocacy of INC’s position:
  • INC members have access to the international industry association, International Special Dietary Foods Industries (ISDI). ISDI is based in Brussels, and represents the industry globally at Codex, World Health Assembly meetings and WHO Executive Board meetings.
  • INC works closely with ISDI to ensure that international standards in infant formula regulation are compliant with Australian and New Zealand standards.
  • INC also works closely with the China Nutrition and Health Food Association and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China to support INC members export business to China.
  • Through these relationships, INC members have the ability to influence at the international, regional, and national levels.
  • In turn, INC works with members to develop a collective industry response to key consumer and regulatory issues.

• INC provides specialised resources through its Scientific and Regulatory Committee, made up of company representatives with expertise in the infant formula and toddler milk drink industry.
• The Scientific and Regulatory Committee provides INC members with a deep technical knowledge of the industry and access to global expertise through the participation of long-term global industry players.
• The Committee provides advice about infant formula regulatory requirements and prepares industry’s regulatory positions and submissions to government.

• INC provides specialised resources through its Trade and Market Access Committee, made up of company representatives with expertise in the infant formula and toddler milk drink industry.
• The Trade and Market Access Committee is a conduit for information on trade and market access information from Australia and and New Zealand governments and industry associations.
• INC Members provide input into government submissions to international governments on trade and market access issues.

INC promotes industry best practice by:

• • Adhering to the local interpretations of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes 1981 (WHO Code). INC members are signatories to the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formulas: Manufacturers and Importers Agreement 1992 (MAIF Agreement) and in New Zealand members have adopted The Infant Nutrition Council Code of Practice for the Marketing of Infant Formula in New Zealand.
  • Upholding its own Code of Conduct for members, which provides direction on industry issues including the support of breastfeeding, possible false and misleading claims, food regulations and standards, food safety issues, and company representatives’ conduct and activities.
  • In the event of competitive complaints, INC provides a non threatening in-house and inexpensive disputes resolution procedure within its membership.

• INC is achieving balance in the infant feeding debate through promoting the scientific facts about breast-feeding, and where necessary infant formula as the only suitable and safe breast milk substitute.
• INC aims to correct misinformation about infant nutrition reported in the media and advocates sound infant nutrition principles based on protecting and promoting breastfeeding and ensuring the proper use of breast milk substitutes.