One of Britain’s biggest baby milk firms has been ordered to drop a string of health claims after a watchdog found they were not based on scientific evidence.
Kendamil, which accounts for around a quarter of UK infant formula sales, has been rapped over claims about its similarities to breast milk and boosting babies’ immune health.
Lake District-based Kendal Nutricare, the company behind the baby milk formula, has now been told to drop a range of claims following a challenge from rival Abbott Laboratories, maker of Similac.
Competition and Markets Authority figures show Kendal Nutricare’s UK infant formula revenue soared from less than five per cent in 2019 to 20/30 per cent in the first seven months of 2024.
It has overtaken Nestlé to become Britain’s second-largest infant formula manufacturer.
The company sells its formula under the name Kendamil, including Classic, Organic and Goat products. It also owns budget baby formula brand Bonya.
Kendamil accounts for around a quarter of UK infant formula sales
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But the US National Advertising Division (NAD) has rapped advertising messages used to promote the popular formula baby milk.
One was Kendamil’s comparisons with breast milk.
Kendamil’s website says its fats come “from the same place as breast milk” and describes adding whole milk as “by far the best formulation for your baby’s needs”.
While NAD accepted whole milk is a main ingredient in its formula and contributes naturally occurring milk fat, it found the advertising messages suggesting this made competing formulas inferior or gave babies superior nutritional benefits did not stack up.
It told the company to remove assertions that using whole milk kept its natural fats “closer to breast milk”.
Another challenged claim promoted Kendamil as containing: “Creamy whole milk from European grass-fed cows, sourced from family farms. No skimming, no shortcuts, and no unnecessary ingredients.”
The watchdog recommended the claim be scrapped after finding it could convey that rival formulas lost natural milk fats and important nutrients and were nutritionally inferior.
The watchdog also said Kendamil’s graphics comparing its milk fats with those in rival formulas were inaccurate and should also be dropped.
And it called for the claim describing its whole milk fats as “the way nature intended” to be removed.
The watchdog also challenged claims surrounding ingredients known as milk oligosaccharides, naturally present in human milk.
Kendamil’s advertising conveyed its particular blend of these supported babies’ immune health. But the NAD found the evidence did not support the claims and said Kendal should remove them.
Even Kendamil’s heritage advertising was challenged.
Claims including “Est. 1962” and “60 years of experience” could lead consumers to believe the Kendamil brand or formula had existed continuously since 1962, the NAD found.
The Kendal factory does date back to 1962 and has a long history of manufacturing infant nutrition products. However, the watchdog recommended Kendal either discontinue the claims or make clear the 60-year history referred to the manufacturing facility or its production experience, rather than Kendamil itself.
The company told the NAD it would “comply with NAD’s recommendations.”
The ruling did not find the Kendamil formula unsafe or nutritionally inadequate.
Yet it is not the first time Kendamil’s advertising has attracted scrutiny.
In 2023, Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld four issues involving Kendal Nutricare advertising, including rules governing the promotion of infant formula and health claims.
One advertisement said a baby was “growing stronger and stronger every day”, which the ASA considered a health claim.
Another said Kendamil had helped a baby’s “colic and silent reflux”.
The ASA found consumers were likely to interpret that as a claim the product could treat those conditions, which is prohibited under food advertising rules.
Kendamil’s UK infant formula revenue share has increased roughly five-fold or more since 2019, according to the recent figures.
Kendal Nutricare, the British company behind Kendamil, said it would “comply with NAD’s recommendations”
Kendamil has been approached for comment.