A leading medical journal is retracting a controversial Canadian scientist's research on the effect of baby formula on an infant’s immune system, on the grounds of a "major failure of scientific governance".

The BMJ, formerly the British Medical Journal, revealed today its decision to retract the study published in 1989 by Dr Ranjit Kumar Chandra which claimed the product reduced the incidence of allergies in small babies.

Chandra's prominent study looked at the impact of breastfeeding and formula on infants who were at high risk of eczema due to their family history – concluding that mothers who breastfeed should avoid common allergenic foods and those who use formula should choose a hydrolysed type of formula.

Canadian TV programme CBC-TV's The National aired a three-part documentary called The Secret Life of Dr Chandra in 2006, after which Chandra sued the CBC for libel. This summer, a jury ruled that the documentaries were in fact true.

"He had all the data analysed and published even before we had the data collected," nurse Marilyn Harvey, Chandra's research assistant, told CBC at the time.

The BMJ obtained the university's internal investigation report after it was entered as evidence at the trial and is now retracting its paper "because of the convincing evidence given in the CBC television programs and the court case that the work of RK Chandra is not to be trusted."