Breast milk fundraiser under fire
Breastfeeding advocates have slated Lewis Road Creamery’s new ‘‘breast milk’’.
In a bid to raise money for breast cancer research, Lewis Road has branded its blue-top 1.5 litre organic homogenised cow’s milk with a red label reading: ‘‘Breast Milk: the cow’s milk that funds the cure’’.
For every labelled bottle sold (RRP $6.09) Lewis Road will donate 20 cents to Breast Cancer Cure, the research foundation that originally pitched the idea to the dairy company.
The ‘‘breast milk’’ will be sold in supermarkets from Wednesday.
New Zealand Breastfeeding Authority chief executive Julie Stufkens called the move disrespectful toward women.
It inappropriately aligned cow milk with human milk, she said.
‘‘Sadly I think this is misguided advertising,’’ she said.
Plunket advised against feeding babies under 12 months old cow’s milk and Stufkens was concerned mothers could mistakenly purchase the product as a breast milk or formula alternative.
Lewis Road spokeswoman Angela Weeks said the labelling was a ‘‘bold’’ way to raise funds for a good cause.
The company did not intend to offend women or mislead the public.
‘‘It clearly says ‘the cow’s milk that funds the cure’ on the front of the bottle and again references cow’s milk on the back, plus it is stocked in the fridge alongside our regular range of milks, so we are confident customers will see it for what it is – a fundraising initiative,’’ Weeks said.
University of Auckland senior marketing lecturer Dr Bodo Lang said the move was ‘‘fantastically clever marketing’’ but it could be confusing for buyers.
‘‘There’s bound to be a few who will misread the label.’’
Lang did not think there would be legal ramifications. It was hard to prove deliberate consumer deception when other parts of the label clearly identified the product and when it was sold beside other cow milk brands.
The move was a cheap way for the small company to get significant exposure, Lang said.
Lewis Road made headlines for weeks last year when its chocolate milk became so sought after it could not meet demand. Customers queued in supermarkets to get their hands on it.
The Commerce Commission said it would not look into the ‘‘breast milk’’ label.