The Swiss food company targeted by the global infant-formula boycott was Nestlé.
The boycott began in the United States on July 4, 1977, after campaigns accused Nestlé of aggressively marketing breast-milk substitutes in developing countries. Critics argued that promotional practices could encourage mothers to switch from breastfeeding to formula without reliable access to clean water, sterilization equipment, or enough product. Those conditions could increase risks of malnutrition and disease.
The campaign later spread to Europe and was periodically renewed. It became part of a wider international debate involving other formula manufacturers, public-health groups, and the World Health Organization. The controversy helped build support for the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1981.
The boycott is sometimes described as opposition to formula itself, but the central issue was marketing and distribution practices, especially in poorer countries. Nestlé has remained the best-known company associated with the campaign, even though other manufacturers were also monitored.