The report from health experts at institutions around the world says that commercial milk formula sales tactics violate the international code on breastfeeding marketing and calls for stricter government regulation of irresponsible baby formula marketing and widespread industry interference.

The World Health Organization (WHO) stressed on its official website a three-paper series published Tuesday in the medical journal The Lancet condemning these companies are trying to make predatory tactics so that vital measures to support breastfeeding are not implemented, thus seriously affecting the health and rights of women and children.

“The sale of commercial milk formula is a multi-billion-dollar industry which uses political lobbying alongside a sophisticated and highly effective marketing playbook to turn the care and concern of parents and caregivers into a business opportunity,” Dr. Nigel Rollins, a scientist with the World Health Organization and co-author of the series, said in a news release.

According to experts, breastfeeding provides enormous benefits to infants and young children that cannot be obtained in any other way. Breastfeeding promotes infant brain development, prevents malnutrition and sudden infant death syndrome, and lowers the risk of infectious diseases, chronic diseases and leukemia later in life.

According to Linda Richter of the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, companies use lax scientific data to suggest, with little evidence, their products solve common health and developmental problems at this age.

“This marketing tactic clearly violates the 1981 Code, which states that labeling should not idealize the use of infant formula to sell more products,” the specialist said.

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