Advisory Panel on the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formula (APMAIF)

The Advisory Panel on the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formula (APMAIF) is currently managed by the Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Programs Branch of the Department of Health and Ageing.

In this section:

Role of the APMAIF

The Advisory Panel on the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formula (APMAIF) is a non-statutory advisory panel appointed by the Australian Government in 1992 to monitor compliance with, and advise the Government on the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formulas: Manufacturers and Importers Agreement 1992 (MAIF Agreement).

The APMAIF’s Terms of Reference are to:

receive and investigate complaints regarding the marketing in Australia of infant formulas;
act as a liaison point for issues relating to the marketing in Australia of infant formulas;
develop guidelines on the interpretation and application of the MAIF Agreement; and
provide advice to the Australian Government Minister for Health and Ageing, on the operation of the Agreement.

Marketing in Australia of Infant Formulas: Manufacturers and Importers Agreement 1992 (MAIF Agreement)

The MAIF Agreement is a voluntary self-regulatory code of conduct between the manufacturers and importers of infant formula in Australia. It is Australia’s response to the World Health Organization’s International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes 1981 (WHO Code). The MAIF Agreement applies to those Australian manufacturers and importers of infant formula who are signatories to the MAIF Agreement.

The MAIF Agreement aims to contribute to the provision of safe and adequate nutrition for infants, by the protection and promotion of breastfeeding and by ensuring the proper use of breast milk substitutes, when they are necessary, on the basis of adequate information through appropriate marketing and distribution.

The complaint process

Individuals, members of industry, community and consumer groups are able to lodge a complaint with the APMAIF Secretariat alleging a breach of the MAIF Agreement. Complaints that are considered within the scope of the MAIF Agreement are presented to the APMAIF for its consideration. Once a final decision has been made by the APMAIF, advice is sent to the complainant and the subject company informing them of the outcome. The APMAIF has recently revised the Complaints Handling Process.
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Complaints should be submitted to the APMAIF Secretariat on the Complaint Form (PDF 85 KB). For assistance in completing the Complaint Form, please refer to the Guidelines for Lodging Complaints and the MAIF Agreement.

Links to relevant APMAIF documents

Annual Reports

Contact details for the APMAIF Secretariat

APMAIF Secretariat
Department of Health and Ageing
MDP 802 GPO Box 9848
Canberra ACT 2601
Email: apmaif
www: Department of Health and Ageing website

Secretariat telephone: (02) 6289 7358

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