ShortHand: Nestlé & the 'Baby Killer' Scandal

The RedHanded episode 'ShortHand: Nestlé & the "Baby Killer" Scandal' exposes a decades-long corporate tragedy rooted in the unethical global marketing of infant formula. What began as a well-intentioned innovation—Henri Nestlé’s 1867 powdered milk flour—evolved into a devastating public health crisis when Nestlé aggressively promoted its products in low- and middle-income countries without regard for clean water access, proper hygiene, or accurate nutritional science. The podcast reveals how the company used medical endorsements, deceptive clinical trials, and invasive door-to-door sales tactics—often disguising saleswomen as nurses—to replace breastfeeding, leading to widespread infant malnutrition and death. A 1974 pamphlet titled *The Baby Killer* exposed these practices, triggering an international boycott that forced the WHO and UNICEF to create the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes. Despite Nestlé’s formal compliance, the company has repeatedly violated the code, and the scandal remains active today. The episode delivers a searing indictment of corporate power, greenwashing, and the deadly consequences of prioritizing profit over human life.