Carnation to Alter Label on Baby Formula

Carnation Co., under fire for using an infant formula label that has been called misleading, on Friday said it will remove the term “hypo-allergenic” from its Good Start H.A. product.

Carnation said the label change, which will be effective in April, is being made to eliminate potential consumer confusion about the word “hypo-allergenic,” which means reduced potential for allergic reaction.

“Carnation Good Start H.A. is hypo-allergenic but not non-allergenic,” said Carnation President Timm Crull. “The distinction is significant to a very small, but potentially vulnerable, group of infants who are severely allergic and who should change formulas only under the direct supervision of a physician.”

Adverse Reactions Reported

The term hypo-allergenic, used on a number of product labels, has become the subject of controversy. The Food and Drug Administration has asked companies--Carnation, among them--to prove that their products are more easily tolerated by some allergic consumers. The FDA also has asked industry to help develop an easily understood definition for “hypo-allergenic.”

The FDA is also investigating six reported incidents of adverse reactions to Good Start. Carnation, a subsidiary of Swiss-based Nestle SA, introduced Good Start last November.

The move did not satisfy critics--among them, Action for Corporate Accountability, a Minneapolis-based consumer group. Carnation should also remove the initials “H.A.” from the product, according to Janice Mantell, executive director of the organization.

“More than this cosmetic change is necessary,” she said. “Nestle’s determined effort to enter the lucrative infant formula market through its acquisition of Carnation must not be made at the expense of the health of U.S. infants.”