Breast Milk Ice Cream Idea Proposed by PETA to Ben and Jerry's
PETA Screams for Breast Milk Ice Cream
Ben & Jerry replied that "a mother's milk is best used for her child," according to WITN. PETA suggested that Ben and Jerry's make breast milk ice cream to minimize the suffering of the cows. While their request was extreme and implausible, they could have made other more viable requests about th cow's health. They could have also suggested vegan product lines for B & J, which are popular in health food markets and natural food markets.
PETA Breast Milk Ice Cream is a No Go
According to the PETA press release, the idea came from the news that a Swiss restaurateur would be substituting 75 percent of the cow's milk with breast milk. In the U.S. there are breast milk banks where lactating mothers with an abundance of breast milk can donate their breast milk. The lactating mothers are put through health screenings before the breast milk is made available to babies.
The PETA release also states that the mothers providing the milk for the unnamed Swiss restaurateur are paid for their milk. If this were to happen in the United States, how many of the mothers currently donating breast milk to breast milk banks for babies in need would opt to be paid instead? Would this practice truly make healthier humans as PETA suggests?
Wet Nurses Need Not Apply to for Ben & Jerry's
Currently it is commonly believed that only the only breast milk a baby should receive is from his or her biological mother. We forget the tradition of wet nurses, where lactating women breastfed babies in their care, but were not their own biological children. But in the case of PETA's suggestion and in the Swiss restaurant, the breast milk would be consumed by adults. Breast milk has a distinct flavor, and it can differ in texture, thickness and taste from mother to mother and from day to day. For these very practical reasons, it does not seem to be a plausible ice cream recipe ingredient. Perhaps replacing the cow milk with soy milk would be a more realistic approach.
On its surface it appears that PETA is trying to make an extreme example with their suggestion. However, their letter goes on to state, "would lessen the suffering of dairy cows and their babies on factory farms and benefit human health at the same time."
B & J Ice Cream: No Slouches in the Social Issues Department
B & J is actually known for their social values and commitment to the earth, global warming, sustainable agriculture, small family farms, recycling and other environmental issues. They do not seem like the biggest target for PETA to approach regarding animal cruelty, or like the most likely suspects.
Consumers can rest easy knowing that Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc. will continue to make its ice cream flavors, including pumpkin cheesecake, that will not include breast milk ice cream. In the mean time, for those who want to avoid ice cream make with cow's milk, try Soy Delicious Purely Decadent, fruit sorbet, Italian ice, or So Delicious Dairy Free Yogurt.
Sources
Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., http://www.benjerry.com
"The Breast Is Best! PETA Asks Ben & Jerry's to Dump Dairy and Go With Human Milk Instead," http://www.peta.org/MC/NewsItem.asp?id=11993
http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/29677174.html
SFGate.com, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/09/MNGLKI6FTA1.DTL&hw=Breast+milk&sn=001&sc=1000"Moms pay big for other mothers' milk: But doctors warn non-nursing women of health risk to babies,"
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24 Comments
Post a CommentThe idea of breast milk in ice cream is kind of strange...are they going to screen the human DONORS, to make sure they don't have DISEASES like; AIDS, STD'S, DRUG USE, RARE BLOOD DISEASES?... etc..personally, I wouldn't want to do the honors, for fear of them not screening the Human Donors, making sure it would be safe to consume!.....and most of all, I wouldn't want to Deprive all the little Darling Babies of their Natures' Nourishment...
Interesting idea -- although maybe not for general public, but a breast milk-based ice cream infused with medications for finiky babies (and adults) that won't take their medications or have trouble swallowing pills but can swallow ice cream. It could put a lot of women to work :-)
I've been using almond milk for everything I make. It's alot more practical, don't you think?
Okay, so I'm usually for PETA and I'm pro-breastfeeding, but this is ridiculous, to say the least! Obviously just a ploy to get media coverage for their cause (which, apparently, it did!) It's just too much, really...
I never would have imagined.
Claren, you rock!
Eventually, there would be a need to form an orginization along the lines of PETM(People for the Ethical Treatment of Mothers)
Erika, I see your points. None of us needs cow's milk just as none of us needs Ben & Jerry's Nobody needs ice cream, they just want it. I still say B & J should come up with a way to make soy milk ice cream that is rich and creamy.
Oh good grief........................
While I definitely think their suggestion is a bit extreme, here are some things to consider...
1. B&J readily says human milk is for human babies so why not use that same logic and assume cow milk is for cow babies???
2. Cows lactate when they are pregnant and/or nursing just as with humans. So, to produce our massive quantities of milk, cows have to be continually pregnant and lactating, and as any woman who has had children knows, this is definitely cruel! Could you imagine being in that state for the rest of your life??
So...If you enjoy cow milk & their products (i actually do!), at least be considerate and consume in moderation. It is a total myth that we NEED cow's milk. You can get your vitamins & fat from plenty of other places.