I think I'll skip dessert, thank you...

[Motorboat Cruiser]

So the folks over at PETA have a great idea for ice cream masterminds Ben and Jerry - start substituting human breast milk for cow's milk (http://www.wptz.com/news/17539127/detail.html).

Luckily, Ben and Jerry aren't so easily persuaded.

"We applaud PETA's novel approach to bringing attention to an issue, but we believe a mother's milk is best used for her child," said a spokesperson for Ben and Jerry's.

And according to the article, there is a restaurant that is already substituting human milk in its recipes. Am I the only one completely grossed-out by this? Please tell me I'm not.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

You're not.

But if they DID make a Ben and Jerry's breast milk flavor, beer should be involved, don't you think? ;)

[Motorboat Cruiser]

You read my mind. :)

[katiesue]

eww that's just gross.

[scaeagles]

This is not an uncommon practice from what I understand in Guatemala (and perhaps other central American countries - I dont' know). I have a friend who was traveling through Central America with some friends and happened into a ice cream shop. Everyone else just got ice cream but he ordered - you guessed it - a milk shake. The woman explained it would be a few minutes till it was done and he said that would be fine. After about 10 minutes, he went to the counter and asked about it, and another employee said they'd check. Opening the door to the back, he could see the woman milking herself to make the shake. Mortified, but not wanting to insult the people, he drank it as they watched him, smiling the whole time. He inquired of some locals after they left and was assured that it wasn't unusual, but were amused at his obvious discomfort.

We often ask him if he's been to a Guatemalan Shake Shop recently.

Shudder.

Not me. Couldn't have done it.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

I think I will cross a Guatemalan Baskin & Robbins off the list of potential places to visit in my future travels.

[BarTopDancer]

Well we are the only, or one of the few species that drinks other animals milk. I guess, why is it easier to drink milk from a cow meant for baby cows then it is to drink milk from people meant for baby people?

[innerSpaceman]

Yeah, sorry, but I have zero problem with it. I suppose i might want it pasteurized first, but it's only because I don't think of what milk really is while i eat my cereal that i can swallow the cow's stuff any way.


As a matter of fact, if i stopped to think what i was eating when I ate the cow, I'd have to quit that, too.

[scaeagles]

There's nothing wrong with it, I suppose....it's just.....ick. For me, ick.

[JWBear]

It's better for you than cow's milk... But yes... Ick.

[BarTopDancer]

Yeah, sorry, but I have zero problem with it. I suppose i might want it pasteurized first, but it's only because I don't think of what milk really is while i eat my cereal that i can swallow the cow's stuff any way.


As a matter of fact, if i stopped to think what i was eating when I ate the cow, I'd have to quit that, too.

And that is why I rarely drink milk, eat eggs or dairy and decided to be vegetarian in the middle of a damn good steak (that I tossed) a few years ago. I just think about it.

[scaeagles]

I'ma big time meat eater, but am not planning on moving to human flesh anytime soon.

I'm not really sure that means anything. I think I'm trying to link drinking cows milk vs. human milk and eating cow meat vs. human meet.

[innerSpaceman]

human meet is too stringy.

[scaeagles]

Please tell me you are basing this on something other than personal experience.

[innerSpaceman]

:rolleyes:

[scaeagles]

Human hot dogs don't count, if that's what you're basing it on. :)

[blueerica]

Hmm, I just heard something about a new restaurant opening up that will be using only human breast milk. I'll have to find a link somewhere...

[BarTopDancer]

I'ma big time meat eater, but am not planning on moving to human flesh anytime soon.

I'm not really sure that means anything. I think I'm trying to link drinking cows milk vs. human milk and eating cow meat vs. human meet.

human meet is too stringy.

I find animal meat to be tender, but I think human meet would be revolting. Though some days it's a battle to eat meat.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I thought it was illegal to sell any product of a human body? Then again they pay for sperm so maybe some things are not illegal.

I'd probably try it. The ice cream, that is.

[Gemini Cricket]

Breast milk tastes like Honey Dew Melon juice. But I hear it can change based on what the mother eats. I was 11 when my little sister was born. My mom bottled some of her milkage and I put some in my palm and tried it when I was feeding my sis... You know, the sis that's a cop now... Wow. Weird.
:)

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

Slim chance I'd try it but then, only if it comes from an attractive woman.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Hmm, I just heard something about a new restaurant opening up that will be using only human breast milk. I'll have to find a link somewhere...

The article I linked to mentions the restaurant by name, if it is the same one you are thinking of. It's in Switzerland.

[tracilicious]

Less gross to me than cow's milk. Though, I may be biased on the subject.

I knew someone who was breastfeeding who's mom got cancer and was in chemo and she would pump and send her mom the milk for it's awesome immune boosting properties. I am a little weirded out by the thought of my mom drinking my breast milk.

[3894]

You realize this thread is illegal where I live, right?

[Strangler Lewis]

The Swiss story (http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2008/09/18/2008-09-18_restaurant_drops_plan_to_cook_with_breas.html)

And remind me not to order a birthday cake from that place with any writing on it.

[Strangler Lewis]

Although I have to say the fellow's attitude encourgages me in one respect: one of the screenplays I'm working up is an anti-war satire that ends with the universal conscription of American men once it's discovers that semen burns better than oil.

[blueerica]

The article I linked to mentions the restaurant by name, if it is the same one you are thinking of. It's in Switzerland.

Not sure... I didn't quite have the chance to read the article you linked since I was trying to do my "30 second LoT catch-up" and figured I might have time a little later to follow/join/etc the discussion.

I will look into the linked article momentarily... hehe. However, I thought the restaurant was here in the US, since I recall the restaurateur offering an amount that was in US dollars per gallon.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Add me to the "eew" chorus. I'm a big breastfeeding proponent, but as an adult, I don't want to drink what you had for breakfast this morning.

[Capt Jack]

some things just make me really hope the LHC blows the snot out of this planet.

[Strangler Lewis]

some things just make me really hope the LHC blows the snot out of this planet.

Hmm. Another untapped food source.

[Alex]

I don't want to, but unless someone can find something that I haven't been able to, I'm going to call BS on the Guatemalan breast milk thing. I won't say that individual incident didn't happen (though I have doubts, what exactly is their business model if four people want milkshakes at the same time) but if adult consumption of breast milk were at all common in Guatemala I'm pretty sure I'd be able to find something about it.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I knew someone who was breastfeeding who's mom got cancer and was in chemo and she would pump and send her mom the milk for it's awesome immune boosting properties.

I would have never thought about that. Kind of cool! Certainly better than a lot of immune-boosting drugs.

Although I have to say the fellow's attitude encourgages me in one respect: one of the screenplays I'm working up is an anti-war satire that ends with the universal conscription of American men once it's discovers that semen burns better than oil.

I like it!

[tracilicious]

Not to mention that it would take 15-20 minutes to pump enough milk to make a milkshake. If they were going to use breastmilk for milkshakes you'd think they would be pumping consistently and freezing the milk. Unless they don't have the resources to properly refrigerate food, in which case there's not much I want to be eating/drinking there anyways.

[scaeagles]

All I can say about that Alex is what my friend told me. Anecdotal, I realize, but unless he was just telling a funny made up story I have on reason to doubt what he said.

[Alex]

Unless they don't have the resources to properly refrigerate food, in which case there's not much I want to be eating/drinking there anyways.

Especially if it is an ice cream shop that doesn't have access to refrigeration.

scaeagles, I see three possibilities that strike me as more likely than the story being absolutely true:

1. It is just a funny story your friend made up.
2. It is a funny story that a friend of your friend told and your friend has adopted it because it is funnier in the first person.
3. It actually happened and they lied about it not being unusual and were pranking on him to see what they could get the tourist to eat.

But regardless, even if one doesn't have a problem with drinking breast milk (and I don't really), consuming it fresh from an unknown person is not a good idea since there are diseases that can be passed through breast milk. For the same reason I wouldn't drink unpasteurized bovine milk unless I was extremely familiar with the source, I would require pasteurization of milk from unfamiliar human sources.

[Morrigoon]

I would think that the risk of passing on disease would be too great to allow it to be sold commercially. I mean, coming from a known source (like one's parent) would be one thing, but some random woman in the back room of an ice cream parlor with god only knows what hygiene habits... I wonder how the health dept would handle that.

[Morrigoon]

Traci: there's something to that. I was reading in this one book, a lady was saying her son was on a feeding tube and she started adding breast milk to the tube and her kid started doing a lot better.

[Stan4dSteph]

How are they sure that the milk is sanitary?

[SzczerbiakManiac]

This topic is making me http://planetsmilies.net/vomit-smiley-31.gif

[bewitched]

Steph, there are several milk banks around the country that collect breast milk; the donors are heavily screened and the milk is pasturized just like cow's milk.


SM, further ickiness just for you (you're welcome):

This lady (http://www.indrani.net/index.php?q=2006/03/breast_milk_cheese) says it is impossible to make breast milk cheese. (EWWW)

But this (http://membres.lycos.fr/petitsingly/) French cheese company apparently does. (double EWWW) But my French sucks so I may be misreading.

And I think someone (http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/2330/index.html) has a little too much time (and milk) on their hands. I mean honestly, who thinks, "gosh, my contact is dirty...I think I'll squirt some breast milk on it."?

[Capt Jack]

what an amazing visual I just had of a thousand women hooked up to automated milking machines.

its like something out of a freakin HR Giger painting

:eek:

[Kevy Baby]

Put me in the column of 'eh'

The thought of human breast milk from a trusted source doesn't really bother me - how is it any worse than from an animal. In theory, I have an easier time with the consumption of human milk than animal.

Shudder.Is that an udder shudder?

Not to mention that it would take 15-20 minutes to pump enough milk to make a milkshake. If they were going to use breastmilk for milkshakes you'd think they would be pumping consistently and freezing the milk.

what an amazing visual I just had of a thousand women hooked up to automated milking machines.Actually, I was having the same visual and getting a good laugh out of it.

[Gn2Dlnd]

This lady (http://www.indrani.net/index.php?q=2006/03/breast_milk_cheese) says it is impossible to make breast milk cheese. (EWWW)

But this (http://membres.lycos.fr/petitsingly/) French cheese company apparently does. (double EWWW)

Putting the Think into ThinKrisps.

[lashbear]

Putting the Think into ThinKrisps.
ThinTits?

[alphabassettgrrl]

what an amazing visual I just had of a thousand women hooked up to automated milking machines.

My husband and I have talked about this.

ThinTits?

I'd prefer plump, thank you.