Closed petition Zero VAT on Human Breastmilk

Closed on 3 July 2013

Human breastmilk is nutrition and should not be subject indirectly to VAT.

The WHO/Unicef code on infant feeding recommendation is to “breastfeed exclusively for the first six months and continue to breastfeed for two years or more” http://www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_breastfeeding.html

All other essential foods, including infant formula milk and animal and plant milks are zero VAT items.

We the undersigned would like the Government to make all items whose sole purpose is to enable a breastfeeding woman to provide her breastmilk to her own or another baby to be zero VAT rated.

Items include (not exclusive):

- Nursing bras & expression tops
- Breastfeeding tops structurally differently to other women's wear.
- Breastmilk storage bags
- Breast pumps (domestic and hospital), and accessories to feed expressed breast milk
- Breast pads
- Nipple shields
- Breast milk collection receptacles that are worn by the mother