Two lactation consultants have resigned from Burnaby General Hospital because they're concerned that hospital employees are being influenced by an infant formula company.

Renee Hefti-Graham and Linda Good quit after hospital staff received e-mails sent by managers that invited them to attend an educational seminar on infant feeding organized by Nestle.

Hefti-Graham led a protest earlier this month against the seminar.

The company ended up cancelling it but Hefti-Graham told CBC News she quit Tuesday because of what she described as corporate influence.

Good had already quit the day before.

Hefti-Graham said staff at the hospital were invited to the Nestle training seminar through e-mails forwarded by hospital managers on behalf of the company using the hospital e-mail system.

The seminar violates a World Health Organization order that regulates the marketing of breast milk substitutes, said Hefti-Graham.

"They are not the people that should be giving information about infant feeding. It's biased. Yes, health professionals need information about infant feeding, but not from a formula company," said Hefti-Graham on Wednesday.

Catherine O'Brien, Nestle's manager of corporate affairs, said the seminar is conducted by dieticians who work for Nestle.

"It's a science-based and completely unbranded program which provides education on the full range of infant feeding issues," said O'Brien.

The Fraser Health Authority said staff may have been told about the seminar by e-mail, but the health authority did not sponsor it and is not connected with the Nestle in any way.

"The debate about breastfeeding and formula feeding is passionate for those that are wanting to provide women with the proper information," said Kim Williams, the director of planning and development for prenatal care.

For now, there is no lactation consultant at Burnaby General, but Williams said other hospital staff are trained to teach women how to breastfeed.