BabyNes

Product

The BabyNes system uses a single-use capsule of powdered milk that mixes with water to make one serving of infant formula. Nestlé called the technology state-of-the-art and stressed its cleanliness, speed, and convenience. According to the company, the machine delivers the formula at the right amount and temperature with one button push in less than a minute. There are two capsule sizes and six formulas matched to a baby’s age and weight.

The machine has a chip that checks that the capsules are genuine. The system was known for being expensive, with each capsule costing four times more than a Nespresso capsule. By August 2011, BabyNes sales had surpassed expectations. In June 2011, Nestlé said it would start selling the product outside Switzerland by 2012 and was thinking about offering machine rentals.

Criticism

The BabyNes machine faced backlash from the International Baby Food Action Network, which claimed Nestlé broke the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and called the device a luxury item for the wealthy. In response, the BabyNes director stated the company adheres to World Health Organization policy and avoids marketing to mothers of infants under six months, also launching a 24-hour customer hotline and a website. Baby Milk Action pushed for more detailed labeling and raised doubts about whether the formula could mix and cool properly within a minute. Time magazine dismissed the concept as absurd, labeling its marketing as "environmental madness" and "a product of greed." Amy Corbett Storch of Mamapop criticized the steep price of both the machine and its capsules, questioning any real advantage over standard powdered or ready-to-use formula.