BB's incident is worse than being caught in the act: Parents' fears and brand trust under the milk powder food safety crisis | Leung Wai Chung

Recently, two major brands of infant formula have been exposed for food safety issues. The Department of Health announced on January 6 that certain batches of Nestlé NAN and Wyeth infant formula may contain Bacillus cereus and are voluntarily undergoing precautionary recalls. As soon as the news broke, many parents immediately took to social media to express their grievances. As a new parent, I can particularly empathize with the sentiment of "it's worse for the baby than for oneself"; from the perspective of a public relations practitioner, there is another kind of discomfort. Sudden Variables Cause Panic in Families What is most unsettling about this incident is that the affected batches include some of the first and second formulas, primarily intended for infants from birth to about 6 months old, which is the stage when their immunity is weakest and they require the utmost attention from parents. The reality is that many families are currently in the "trial formula" phase, and children may not accept a particular brand right away. Parents often have to try repeatedly to find a suitable formula. Any sudden variable can easily throw the entire family into chaos. Reflecting on the days when I first became a father, I raised my risk awareness to the highest level every day; it was almost instinctual. Mothers would continuously search online for information, comparing the personal experiences of other parents. Because of this, parents' tolerance for the food safety risks of products like infant formula is almost zero. For this reason, from a brand perspective, the impact of this crisis is particularly heavy. Brand image is often built up over many years, but for parents, a single doubt is enough to shake years of trust. On the night of the announcement alone, social media was flooded with posts, with parents sharing their children's discomfort and others discovering that their home stock belonged to the recalled batches, rushing to supermarkets that were still open in the middle of the night to find alternative formulas. These real and urgent experiences quickly spread within parent circles. Sharing Among Parents Has Far Greater Impact Than Traditional Advertising In such events, brands often find themselves suddenly losing their voice. The leaders of public opinion are no longer official statements, but rather the photos, descriptions, and emotions of ordinary parents. These contents may not be organized and do not require any rhetoric; just a simple "I dare not try again" is enough to resonate with other parents instantly. For new parents, even the mere possibility of risk is enough to warrant avoidance. This is precisely where infant formula brands feel the most powerless and distressed. Any response that is slightly careless may be interpreted as shirking responsibility, indifference, or lack of seriousness. How to rebuild emotional trust while adhering to scientific and regulatory procedures will be a long and difficult road. The incident also reminds us that in an age of highly circulated information, the experience sharing among parents has far greater influence on brands than traditional advertising. For parents, there are already too many things to learn on the parenting journey, and a single comment on social media can often sway their choices. For products like infant formula, which allow for "zero tolerance" for errors, the real test is never just whether a recall is necessary, but whether parents will still dare to trust after the storm has passed. Once trust shows signs of cracking, the time to repair it is often longer than the time it took to build it. Leung Wai Chung - Corporate Communications and Financial Public Relations Consultant 🔗LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3ClurwJ 🔗Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lwcken/