Nestle Warned of New Boycott Over Formula

A private consumer watchdog group threatened Tuesday to revive a boycott against the Swiss food conglomerate Nestle S.A. unless it stops supplying hospitals in Third World countries with free infant formula.

Janice Mantell, executive director of the Action for Corporate Accountability, gave the corporation until Oct. 4 to comply.

Leaders of the six-year boycott had contended that many infants who were raised on formula, rather than safely breast-fed, ended up malnourished because their impoverished mothers diluted the costly formula to stretch it.

The call for a possible renewed boycott follows the announcement Monday that Carnation Co., a unit of Nestle, will enter the U.S. formula market with a product for infants who are allergic to milk and a follow-up formula for babies who have begun to eat solid food.

A Nestle spokesman said the World Health Organization international baby milk marketing code allows free and low-cost supplies of infant formula to be provided to hospitals.