Boo Nestle - Make your Halloween Nestle-Free

What can you give trick or treaters instead of Nestle products?

2010-10-25T09:00:00.008-04:00

Food items like:

fair-trade chocolate
fruit leather
honey stick
YummyEarth lollipops
Clifbar Zbars or Twisted Fruit
snack-size packs of things like pretzels or Annie's Cheddar Bunnies
EnviroKidz crispy rice treats
Juice boxes (not Juicy-Juice!)

Non-food items like:

fancy erasers
pencil grips
pencils
stickers
wiki stix
silly bandz
temporary tattoos
bouncy balls

Before you hit the store, print and bring this list of Halloween Nestle products to avoid when shopping for trick-or-treats.

Be sure to print out these No Nestle wrappers to put on anything you give out to let people know your home is a Nestle-free zone! Thanks to Munchkin Designs for creating them for us (please keep them in mind for your next party- they do custom mini-size and full-size candy wrappers).

Boo! Nestle Twitter Party

2010-10-22T16:00:00.006-04:00

Join us on Sunday, October 24 from 9 pm to 10 pm (EST) for the Boo! Nestle Twitter Party to kick off International Nestle Free Week. We'll be talking about:

why Nestlé deserves to be boo'ed
alternatives to Nestlé products
unique Hallowe'en treats that are fun and ethical

Follow the #nonestle stream to learn and share your ideas (you might want to use our custom TweetGrid http://is.gd/ggI97 to make following the conversation easier) - plus have a chance at some great prizes including:

a fair-trade chocolate basket from Ten Thousand Villages (Ottawa)
a dragon dress-up from doudoubebe.com
a Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Kit of delicious, organic cookies from New Moon Cookies
a two-bottle set of non-toxic kid-safe nail polish from HopscotchKids
a custom gift pack including a custom tote, a tee and a pack of Yummy Earth organic lollipops from Munchkin Designs
a Best for Babes tank top
a Mabel's Labels Essential Combo Pack
a Dept 56 Pumpkin costume in 12-18 months size, courtesy of Babysteals.com
a Dept 56 Frog costume in 6-12 months size, courtesy of Babysteals.com
a CAUTION cinch belt from Bugalug
a Flames cinch belt from Bugalug

Co-hosted by Annie Urban (@phdinparenting), Danielle Friedland (@that_danielle), Amy Gates (@crunchygoddess), Elita (@Blacktating), Bettina Forbes (@BestforBabes) and Michelle Branco (@doudoubebe). Mike Brady (@mikebradyuk) has been invited to answer questions.

Spread the word by tweeting:

Looking for alternatives to Nestle #Halloween treats? Attend the #NoNestle twitter party Sun 9pEST. RSVP http://ht.ly/2XZil PLS RT
Looking for ethical Halloween treats? Attend the #NoNestle twitter party Sun 9pEST. RSVP http://ht.ly/2XZil PLS RT
Looking for ethical & healthy Halloween treats? Attend the #NoNestle twitter party Sun 9pEST. RSVP http://ht.ly/2XZil PLS RT
Want a Nestle-free #Halloween but don't know where to start? Attend the #NoNestle twitter party Sun 9pEST. RSVP http://ht.ly/2XZil PLS RT
I'm saying #NoNestle this #Halloween. Find out why! Sun 9pEST. RSVP http://ht.ly/2XZil #NoNestle PLS RT
I'll be tweeting abt fun & ethical #Halloween treats Sun 9pEST. RSVP http://ht.ly/2XZil #NoNestle PLS RT
Tweet w me Sun 9pEST to learn about Nestle-free alternatives for #Halloween. Just say #NoNestle! http://ht.ly/2XZil PLS RT

Did you miss the party? Here's what we tweeted. Feel free to retweet any/all of these messages!

Q1 Why are we booing Nestle? What, if anything, have you heard about the 30-year Nestle boycott? #noNestle

Nestle is accused by experts of many unethical business practices + have been boycotted internationally for the last 30 years. #noNestle
Nestle is the 4th most boycotted brand (after Nike, Coca Cola and McDonald’s). #noNestle
Nestle aggressively promotes infant formula w misleading + harmful strategies that put babies at risk + violate the WHO Code. #noNestle
Nestle uses suppliers that violate human rights (e.g purchasing milk from Mugabe, buying cocoa frm suppliers that use child slaves) #noNestle
Nestle also uses suppliers that destroy the environment (e.g. palm oil from rainforest) #noNestle
Nestle controls + abuses water sources in its bottled water operations #noNestle
Nestle promotes unhealthy food, especially for young children #noNestle
Nestle is responsible for trade union busting activities + denying the rights of workers to collectively bargain #noNestle
People around the world have been boycotting Nestle for the last 30 years tho Nestle tries to deny it. http://bit.ly/d1qPKO #noNestle
Last year @phdinparenting asked Nestle to explain certain things but their answers were full of doublespeak. http://bit.ly/9ovieb #nonestle
When laws don’t exist or fail to hold Nestle to account, it takes public action to force Nestle to change. #noNestle
What can we do? Boycott Nestle brands, help spread the word abt their unethical business practices. #noNestle
What else can we do? Put pressure on govt to pass legislation to prevent these practices. #noNestle

Q2 What #Halloween-related products does Nestle make? #noNestle

Nestle owns a lot of brands & is the biggest food company in the world so you need to do a little homework b4 shopping. #noNestle
Get a comprehensive Nestle product boycott list prepared by @CrunchyDomesticGoddess http://bit.ly/9urc2z #noNestle
Making pumpkin pie? Use generic or Trader Joe brand canned pumpkin instead of Libby's which is owned by Nestle. #noNestle
Popular Nestle #candy brands: Butterfinger, Crunch, Kit Kat, Wonka, Raisinets, Goobers, Baby Ruth, Aero, Smarties, Sno-Caps #noNestle
Nestle also owns: Wonka, Pixy Stix, Gobstoppers, Spree, Laffy Taffy, Nerds, Fun Dip, Runts, SweeTarts, Gummies, Harry Potter candy #noNestle
Print & bring this list of #Halloween #Nestle products to avoid when shopping. http://bit.ly/b4K1H7 #noNestle
Other Nestle brands incl formula & baby food such as Good Start formula, Gerber, Gerber Graduates. #noNestle
Nestle also owns MOST bottled water brands like Arrowhead, Deer Park, Poland Spring, Perrier AND San Pellegrino. #noNestle
Nestle also owns dairy products (Coffee-Mate, Dreyers, Haagen-Dazs, Drumstick), Hot Pockets, Buitoni, Stouffer’s, Lean Cuisine #noNestle
Nestle also owns: breakfast items incl Carnation Instant Breakfast, coffee & beverages like Nescafe, Juicy-Juice, Nesquik, Nestea #noNestle
Nestle also owns: pet brands like Alpo, Purina, Cat/Dog Chow, Fancy Feast, Friskies. #noNestle
Nestle also owns: nutrition + health brands like Jenny Craig, Power Bar. #noNestle
Nestle owns SO many brands. Check this list to see if yr favorite products are on it. http://bit.ly/9urc2z #noNestle

Q3 What are some alternatives to give to trick-or-treaters on #Halloween? #noNestle

Print & bring this list of #Halloween #Nestle products w you when shopping for trick-or-treats. http://bit.ly/b4K1H7 #noNestle
What #Halloween candy brands does Nestle own? US http://bit.ly/aSf6r3 Canada http://bit.ly/aDRGUY #noNestle
Kids like money! Some may also be collecting for UNICEF. #noNestle
Trick or treaters will like fair-trade chocolate, fruit leather, honey sticks, @YummyEarth lollipops, @Clifbar Zbars or Twisted Fruit #noNestle
Trick or treaters will like snack-size packets of pretzels or @AnniesHomeGrown Cheddar Bunnies, @EnviroKidz crispy rice treats #noNestle
Trick or treaters will like non-food items like fancy erasers, pencil grips, pencils, wiki stix, silly bandz, temporary tattoos, bouncy balls #noNestle
More #green #Halloween tips at greenhalloween.org & via @bostonmamas http://bit.ly/dslmLo #noNestle

Q4 How can you support the boycott + teach others about Nestle's unethical business practices? #noNestle

Print the #BooNestle candy wrappers @MunchkinDesigns made for us to let ppl know yr home is a #noNestle zone. http://bit.ly/96bApg
Lead by example: boycott the brands owned by Nestle in the United States + Canada. #noNestle
Lead by example: Participate in Nestle-Free Week from October 26th to November 1st. #noNestle
Lead by example: Participate in a boycott of Nestle Halloween candy. #noNestle
Boycott +/or complain about formula advertising from Nestle when you see it in magazines, in Google ads, other advertising. #noNestle
Send an e-mail to nestlefamilyinfo@casupport.com + let them know why you are boycotting their products.
Bloggers: write yr own post telling people abt yr concerns w Nestle + let them know what you are doing about it. #noNestle
Post on Facebook: I'm not buying Nestle candy this Halloween - here's why: boonestle.com #noNestle
Tweet abt it using the hashtag #nonestle. Feel free to use our suggested messages. http://bit.ly/94hP0q #noNestle
Print posters to hang on yr door to let those in yr community know that u're participating in the boycott + why. http://ht.ly/2XfCD #noNestle
Email your friends about why you're not buying Nestle products this #Halloween. http://bit.ly/dBTDJu #noNestle
Print the #BooNestle candy wrappers @MunchkinDesigns made for us to let ppl know yr home is a #noNestle zone. http://bit.ly/96bApg
Print these signs to hang on yr door to let those in yr community know that u're participating in the boycott + why. http://ht.ly/2XfCD #noNestle
Email your friends about why you're not buying Nestle products this #Halloween. http://bit.ly/dBTDJu #noNestle
Print the #BooNestle candy wrappers @MunchkinDesigns made for us to let ppl know yr home is a #noNestle zone. http://bit.ly/96bApg

Many thanks for prizes frm: @hopscotchkids @munchkindesigns @bugalug @babysteals @newmoonkitchen #noNestle
Many thanks for prizes frm: @villagesouttawa @bestforbabes @doudoubebe @mabelhood #noNestle
We'll be talking abt Nestle-free week all week long. Follow the hashtag #noNestle to learn more & participate. #noNestle

RSVP by entering your twitter handle below.

Nestle-free Zone candy wrappers

2010-10-18T15:00:00.002-04:00

We are grateful to Lisa Komer of Munchkin Designs who created these Nestle-free Zone candy wrappers for us. Simply print out this page on regular or sticky-backed paper, cut them out and tape onto any candy or snack bar. They are perfectly sized for the mini-sized bars that many brand offer but will also work on most trick-or-treat items. We suggest you put these over the regular wrapper so parents (and kids) know what's inside. (Also, it should go without saying but just in case... don't put them on Nestle-brand products because it kind of defeats the purpose.)

Download: Nestle-free Zone candy wrappers (10.3 MB)

Tweet About the Boycott

2010-10-14T14:00:00.001-04:00

We've prepared these tweets that you can use to spread the word on Twitter.

Are your kids little activists? Reverse trick-or-treating might be for them: http://su.pr/1wg8ZG #noNestle
At @VillagesOttawa, they educate consumers about the benefits of fair trade, e.g. this Divine Chocolate video http://su.pr/356fqr #noNestle
RSVP for International Nestle-Free Week on Facebook: http://su.pr/1nwTHp #NoNestle
End Chocolate Slavery. Have a Fair Trade Halloween. http://su.pr/1AChKk #NoNestle
Not sure yet if you want to boycott Nestle? Give it a try for a week: http://su.pr/2bcwAR #noNestle
Ask Nestle + other chocolate producers to make ALL of their chocolate slave-free http://su.pr/2WkCTk #noNestle
Learn about the Nestle boycott and how you can support it http://su.pr/1JSLfj #noNestle
The Nestle boycott isn't just about infant formula. Learn more: http://su.pr/54AgLm
The Nestle Critics portal provides info from numerous NGOs on how + why they protest Nestle http://su.pr/2Q4zD8 #NoNestle
Nestle owns more brands that most people realize. Learn which ones so you can avoid them: http://su.pr/2lOKb4 #NoNestle
Nestle says its formula "protects babies". Learn why that is wrong + send Nestle an e-mail. http://su.pr/2ACwuk #NoNestle
"We sell water, so we have to be clever" says Nestle. Read more @StopNestleWaters http://su.pr/1vn2NV #noNestle
In 1984, Nestle agreed to comply w/ WHO Code regulating the marketing of breastmilk substitutes. 26yrs later, it still doesn't. #NoNestle
Mothers and babies need you to keep up the pressure on Nestlé now more than ever http://su.pr/8oHAoM #NoNestle
Find great alternatives to Halloween candy on @CrunchyGoddess blog: http://su.pr/2sD9wA #noNestle
Great to see health professionals supporting anti-Nestle advocacy. Love this comment from @SeattleMamaDoc http://su.pr/16gBVt #noNestle
I'm disgusted by Nestle's claims that it is the "Gold Standard" in infant nutrition. http://su.pr/57cKga #noNestle
Get a Fair Trade Trick or Treat Action Kit http://su.pr/1kSzu0 #noNestle
Foreign Policy Blogs: What should really scare you this Halloween http://su.pr/82ulDg #noNestle
Read how Nestle shifts blame for infant deaths http://su.pr/2qkEFF #noNestle

Are You Boycotting Nestle?

2009-10-13T16:55:00.002-04:00

If you visited this blog but aren't planning to boycott Nestle in any capacity, please tell us why in the comments.

Call to Action

2009-10-13T13:53:00.004-04:00

What can you do?

Besides not buying Nestlé products yourself, here's what else you can do:

If you use Facebook and other social networking sites, share this message as your status update: I'm not buying Nestlé candy this Halloween - here's why: http://ht.ly/2XfCD
If you blog, let your readers know that you won't be buying Nestlé this October and why. Link back here and let us know so we can list you on the blogroll.
If you use twitter, tweet the following messages: There's no Nestlé KitKat in my candy bowl and here's why: http://ht.ly/2XfEu #nonestle, Nestlé is too scary for me http://ht.ly/2XfEu #nonestle
Join in the discussion of the Nestlé Halloween boycott on Twitter by using the hashtag #nonestle.
Print stickers and posters to let those in your community know that you're participating in the boycott and why.

What Did Nestlé Do To Deserve a Boycott?

2009-10-13T13:30:00.000-04:00

Nestlé is a major player in the world, selling products that range from breakfast cereals to coffee. But there are two main areas that Nestlé is the most known for: infant formula and candy. Unfortunately, it is in these two areas that Nestlé has not only made the most money, but also created the most damage world wide.

You may recall as a child a mass boycott of Nestlé and their many brands. Perhaps your parents joined the boycott, perhaps you're still boycotting Nestlé today, or perhaps you weren't aware at all. In any case, the boycott ended in 1984 but was reinstated in 1988 because Nestlé did not live up to the promises it made. The boycott is is still active today.

   •   CRIMES AGAINST BABIES: Nestlé contributes to the unnecessary death and suffering of infants around the world by aggressively marketing baby foods in developing nations, in breach of the World Health Organization's international marketing standards. Nestlé says they don't market to parents but they market aggressively to medical professionals and provide free formula to hospitals. Parents are convinced to use formula instead of breastfeeding and by the time their free supply of the formula runs out, mothers' ability to breastfeed has disappeared and Nestlé has a paying customer at the expense of a child's health and life.

   •   Regardless of how you feel about the use of formula in your life, it's important to understand that in the developing world, the difference between formula and breastfeeding can mean life or death to infants due to the lack of availability of clean water, lack of means of sterilizing bottles and that parents are often unable to prepare bottles to minimum specifications because they can either not read their own language or read the English directions on the label. Additionally, because formula is so expensive, many parents water down the formula to make canisters last longer. The World Health Organization estimates that 1.5 million infants die around the world every year because they are not breastfed.

   •   CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN: Nestlé is one of the major cocoa importers that still sources its cocoa beans from the Ivory Coast. According to the US State Department, there are approximately 109,000 children working in the country's cocoa industry under slave-like conditions. Nestlé promised in 2001 to make its chocolate "child labor-free" by 2005 but that promise was broken and the deadline ignored.

   •   CRIMES AGAINST COMMUNITIES: Nestlé is also guilty of pilfering public water supplies worldwide for profit, wreaking damage on the environment as well as communities. Their water mining operations have caused damage to watersheds after assuring rural communities they would be "good corporate neighbors." Small towns that refused to throw open their water supplies to Nestlé have been targeted with litigation designed to bully and bankrupt. For more information, visit http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=240

Window Signs

2009-10-13T13:00:00.000-04:00

Print and hang these signs in your windows or on your doors to let trick or treaters and their parents know that your home or business is Nestle-free. Just click, save and print.

Signs created by @doudoubebe.

Letter to your friends

2009-10-13T11:00:00.001-04:00

Tell your friends about the Boo Nestle boycott by copying and pasting the text from this letter.

Shopping List

2009-10-13T09:00:00.001-04:00

Print and bring this list of Nestle-owned candy and chocolate brands NOT to avoid you when you go shopping for Halloween treats.

Nestle Candy Brands to Avoid

2009-10-12T13:00:00.003-04:00

Here are the US-distributed candy brands to avoid:*

   •   100 Grand
   •   Aero
   •   Baby Ruth
   •   Bit-O-Honey
   •   Butterfinger
   •   Carlos V
   •   Chunky
   •   Goobers
   •   Harry Potter Brand Candy
   •   Kit Kat
   •   Laffy Taffy
   •   Lik-M-Aid Fun Dip
   •   Nerds
   •   Nestlé Abuelita Chocolate
   •   Nestlé Crunch including Crisp, Miniature, and Buncha
   •   Nips
   •   Oh Henry!
   •   Orion
   •   Pixy Stix
   •   Raisinets
   •   Runts
   •   Smarties
   •   Sno-Caps
   •   Spree
   •   SweeTarts
   •   Wonka Products (Pixy Stix, Gobstoppers, Spree, Laffy Taffy, Nerds incl Nerds Rainbow Rope, Fun Dip, Runts, SweeTarts, Shockers, Mix-Ups, Wonka Bar, Tinglerz, Kazoozles, Gummies, Harry Potter-branded candy)

Also, if you’re having a Halloween party, avoid these brands that you might use for party food:

Nestle Toll House (chocolate chips, refrigerated cookie dough)
Juicy Juice
Coffee-Mate
Dreyer’s
Haagen-Dazs
Jamba Ready-to-Drink
La Lechera (condensed milk)
Nescafe
Nestea
Nestle Abuelita chocolate
Nestle Crunch Ice Cream and Dibs
Nestle Hot Cocoa
Taster’s Choice
YoCrunch yogurt
Water:

Pure Life
Aqua Pod
Arrowhead
Calistoga
Deer Park
Ice Mountain
Montclair
Nestle Pure Life
Ozarka
Poland Springs
Zephryhills

* The above lists the relevant brands Nestle manufactures themselves but there are many other products and brands they are involved with distributing, licensing (such as Kit-Kat) or have partial ownership of in the US and globally so there may be other products in the Halloween aisle but at least this is a start.

If you’re in Canada, visit INFACT Canada for a list of their Canadian-distributed brands.

If you'd like to avoid ALL Nestle brands, visit Crunchy Domestic Goddess for a comprehensive list.