The ruling Awami League Tuesday initiated a draft law to regulate indiscriminate sales of commercially produced baby food and food supplements, aiming to promote breast feeding.
Articles used for baby feeding will also come under the regulation, according to the bill.
State Minister for Health Mujibur Rahman Fakir tabled the bill prohibiting sales and marketing of baby food and children’s food supplements without registration from the Institute of Public Health.
Once passed, the law will prohibit the registered importers and sellers or producers to sell formula and other food supplements for children without mentioning some basic facts of breast feeding.
The containers of such baby food and food supplements must clearly read: “Alternative food and food supplements are not the principal source of children’s nutrition;” or, “Nothing can match breast feeding;” and other information.
The law will also prevent the use of cartoons or signs identifying the alternative baby food and food supplements.
The bill was sent to the parliamentary standing committee on health ministry for further scrutiny.
Sources at the Parliament Secretariat said the law was likely to be passed in parliament’s next session starting early September.
Anyone violating any section of the bill would face three years in jail or a fine of Tk500,000 or both in line with the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Passage of the law will authorise the government to form a national committee for advising the authorities concerned on the international code of marketing of baby food and baby food supplements.