Yum! Ice Cream made from human milk anyone?

[Aggie_Ama]

I am not trying to start anything about PETA per se but really I can't imagine anyone wanting ice cream made from human breastmilk? I can thoughtfully listen to their ideas and statements but keep it cow milk in my ice cream please.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26892950/

[GLC1968]

This was discussed on another board I frequent. Everyone was so grossed out by the thought of drinking human breast milk. I find it laughable that it's grosser to drink milk from our own species than it is to drink it from the bovine one!

If you think about it (and we know that most people don't)...isn't the idea of drinking cows milk even more gross? What other species on the planet actively seeks out the breast milk of another species? Ick.

I rarely agree with PETA's tactics - but I think this one is pretty powerful.

[Flur]

For the squeamish there's oatscreme, ice cream made from oats. No dairy involved. I've heard it's good, but I'll stick with the cows milk variety myself.

So say the breastmilk ice cream caught on. What's PETA's plan on mass-production? Where are they going to find women to give their milk up for the cause? Are they thinking we could hook women up to breast pumps and pay them for it? And enough women would do this at a low enough price to make it feasible?

IMO this is just another attention-seeking move from PETA. While I support the elimination of cruelty to animals, we need plausible ideas that will work in practice, not this shenanigans. Give me a good idea that can be implemented and I'll listen.

[Crankin]

Well, it's all what you are used to. No PETA flames, please. I fully admit I am not an animal lover... I don't eat a lot of ice cream because one, it's fattening, and two, it bothers my stomach, but if breast milk is the alternative you want, sure, go for it. But don't expect me to eat it.

[berkeley]

Let's support animal rights, and dehumanize women. Lovely concept, PETA.

I would just take a wild stab that most women would rather produce milk for their CHILDREN and not for Cherry Garcia.

[ilima]

...isn't the idea of drinking cows milk even more gross?

If it's organic, non-rBGH milk from a grass-fed cow, I will gladly take that over milk from a person eating who the hell knows what and taking who the hell knows what drugs. Cuz let's think about who would be willing to sell their milk--it ain't gonna be the 'organic' suburban moms.

While I am opposed to factory farming, I think the PETA folks are really off the deep end. It's an organization that seems hell-bent on publicity for itself rather than actually doing anything of note.

[Aggie_Ama]

I am not sure hearing how bad breast feeding can be (cracked nipples, etc) why anyone would sign up for this. The idea of animals or their products as food doesn't faze me. Okay, I drew the line on bizarre foods the other night when Andrew Zimmern drank cow's urine.

Then again, I am a native Texan, if it walks on four legs (except dogs and cats, naturally), swims, slithers or has feathers we will probably try it once. Some of those things really do taste like chicken! :D

[wackyjacky1]

Does anyone remember when PETA had a campaign to get college students to drink less milk, and drink more beer instead? I'm proud to say I did my part... :cool:

OK, what do you suppose B&J would name their boob-milk ice cream? :D :D

[Flybye]

Let's support animal rights, and dehumanize women. Lovely concept, PETA.

I would just take a wild stab that most women would rather produce milk for their CHILDREN and not for Cherry Garcia.

Oh, thanks for the laugh.

PETA set up a billboard in Idaho and that night there was a tailgate party of sorts.............. A GIANT BBQ was set up under the billboard and the line was (I kid you not) 1/2 mile long for hot dogs and hamburgers. :D The billboard was taken down within the week.

My point to add to this discussion is if we have human breast milk ice cream, what's to stop us from having "leg of lady"???:eek::eek::eek::eek:

mmmmmmm................................

[GLC1968]

I think you guys are missing the point. I'm SURE that they aren't really advocating human breast milk icecream. The point is that of course its a ridiculous idea - and so is taking the milk from an animal (meant for baby animals) and drinking it ourselves!

Organic or not, growth hormones or not, - it's still wrong. No, it doesn't harm the animal (if done right)...but it still goes against nature. Cows milk was meant for baby cows...just like human milk was meant for baby humans. Would you feel ok going out to an organic, grass fed dairy and latching on to a teet and sucking? No, of course not. But have some farmer (or some machine) do it for you where you can't see it, and then 'clean' it for you by cooking the hell out of it makes it somehow less 'wrong'?

Ok, I'll get off my soap box now.

And before anyone jumps all over me, please know that I keep goats and drink their milk...so I'm not saying I won't do it. I just think that for once, PETA is making a very valid point.

[berkeley]

Their point would be valid if they said "here's an alternative" to diary milk. I dunno, soy? almond? milk. Anything realistic, and they might have carried their point.

Instead, they fly off into la-la land and any hope they had of people taking them seriously goes out the window. The majority of people just basically tossed it off as a publicity stunt and will continue drinking cow's milk.

I don't much appreciate things that go to extremes, in general. If you want to make a point, make it with valid, rational thought.

[VeloVT]

I think all I have to say about this is that I'm surprised that THIS is the issue that PETA is choosing to spend its $$$ on. It seems there are more dreadful animal rights abuses that are not only graver moral issues but also would be likely to garner more widespread support (=more money for PETA), and which it may actually be possible in practical terms to end in the near future.

Whether PETA is right or wrong, as a practical matter, they are not going to be able to change a worldwide industrial complex that is supported by a deeply ingrained "sociology of nutrition" with an ad campaign.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

You know, nothing I could write would make much sense about this...other than...PETA isn't what it used to be...who thought of this media stunt?

This is just bizarre. Yes we know about the 'we drink other animal's milk' but what is more bizarre which they don't say anything about is that we are STILL drinking milk after we are WEANED.

Just another sign I guess we never grow up :D

[Flur]

Would you feel ok going out to an organic, grass fed dairy and latching on to a teet and sucking? No, of course not. But have some farmer (or some machine) do it for you where you can't see it, and then 'clean' it for you by cooking the hell out of it makes it somehow less 'wrong'?

I don't see an issue with milking my own cows. A dairy farmer doesn't have to do it for me. As for the machine, it's just a breast pump. Women do it all the time. And as for cooking the hell out of it, even breast milk, when pumped and refrigerated is often heated to body temperature before going into the bottle. It's really not all that different.

Personally, I drink organic milk from local farms. Farms that I can visit and can see how the cows are treated. PETA can come talk to me anytime. Best of luck to them.

[bikerchic]

This is just bizarre. Yes we know about the 'we drink other animal's milk' but what is more bizarre which they don't say anything about is that we are STILL drinking milk after we are WEANED.

Good point TDG! Not only that but at the age of three we loose the enzyme to digest milk period, not just human milk but ANY milk! Why do I love the stuff so much?

I had this horrible picture in my mind when I first heard this PITA request of women lining up in a milking factory with our teats hooked up to milking machines and babies in the waiting rooms crying their lungs out!:eek:
Have we really come down to that? I mean really in order for Ben and Jerry to get enough human milk how else would they? Please!

I really liked the comment B&J gave back to PITA
"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.

[kjay]

Great discussion. I'll stick with soy milk, thanks.

[sgtiger]

I think it's publicity stunt by PETA to get people to think about where milk comes from and how the animals that produce the milk are treated. It does seem to be working for them, too, with all the buzz and debating that it's generated. And while I do drink cows' milk, it does occur to me that it's a bit odd that we drink the milk from another species but as a society we are grossed out by the thought of drinking breast milk which was designed specifically for human consumption. Don't get me wrong, I'm not about to run out and pick up a pint of chunky monkey made with breast milk either, but it does make me pause and go hmmmm......

On a somewhat related note, there are organizations that take donations of breast milk for premature babies whose mothers may be unable to lactate or whose milk is not viable for whatever reason. The donors are carefully pre-screened and their breast milk is tested and pasteurized before being given to the babies. Here's a link for more info:
http://www.hmbana.org/

[Flur]

On a somewhat related note, there are organizations that take donations of breast milk for premature babies whose mothers may be unable to lactate or whose milk is not viable for whatever reason. The donors are carefully pre-screened and their breast milk is tested and pasteurized before being given to the babies. Here's a link for more info:
http://www.hmbana.org/

This is such a better use of breast milk than ice cream! :)

BTW, we are not the only species that still drinks milk after we are weaned. Cats do too. My kitty loves cow juice!

[deeaimond]

just a point to note but since human milk has a much lower fat content than cow's milk.. the frozen stuff would be more like.. ice lollies...

I think the PETA people are, as we say in chinese, 吃包太空闲，too much free time on their hands since their bellies are already filled.