[Crystal423]

I am watching the news and the makers of Ben and Jerry want to make ice cream from breast milk! WTH? They say it's better for the animals and healthier..

I'm sorry, but I wouldn't be eating that ice cream.. breast milk is for babies.. not to make ice cream.

Oh wow, I hadn't heard anything like that...I did hear on the news last week that a restaurant was using breastmilk in the food on their menu. I would definitely not be eating there. I BF Josiah but I am so queer about even tasting my own milk that I can't imagine drinking/eating someone elses..

[divababy]

I just checked on snopes and it said that PETA had sent a letter to B&J suggesting they use breastmilk, but not that they were planning on doing it...

[Crystal423]

Well I hope B&J doesn't take their suggestion and run with it. Just the thought of eating/drinking someone else's breast milk.. blech!

[divababy]

Here's the letter:

September 23, 2008


Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, Cofounders
Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc.


Dear Mr. Cohen and Mr. Greenfield,


On behalf of PETA and our more than 2 million members and supporters, I'd like to bring your attention to an innovative new idea from Switzerland that would bring a unique twist to Ben and Jerry's. Storchen restaurant is set to unveil a menu that includes soups, stews, and sauces made with at least 75 percent breast milk procured from human donors who are paid in exchange for their milk. If Ben and Jerry's replaced the cow's milk in its ice cream with breast milk, your customers--and cows--would reap the benefits.


Using cow's milk for your ice cream is a hazard to your customer's health. Dairy products have been linked to juvenile diabetes, allergies, constipation, obesity, and prostate and ovarian cancer. The late Dr. Benjamin Spock, America's leading authority on child care, spoke out against feeding cow's milk to children, saying it may play a role in anemia, allergies, and juvenile diabetes and in the long term, will set kids up for obesity and heart disease--America's number one cause of death.


Animals will also benefit from the switch to breast milk. Like all mammals, cows only produce milk during and after pregnancy, so to be able to constantly milk them, cows are forcefully impregnated every nine months. After several years of living in filthy conditions and being forced to produce 10 times more milk than they would naturally, their exhausted bodies are turned into hamburgers or ground up for soup.


And of course, the veal industry could not survive without the dairy industry. Because male calves can't produce milk, dairy farmers take them from their mothers immediately after birth and sell them to veal farms, where they endure 14 to17 weeks of torment chained inside a crate so small that they can't even turn around.


The breast is best! Won't you give cows and their babies a break and our health a boost by switching from cow's milk to breast milk in Ben and Jerry's ice cream? Thank you for your consideration.


Sincerely,


Tracy Reiman
Executive Vice President

[newmommy521]

Believe me I'm an animal lover through and through but I think PETA has completely lost their marbles!

[mom_of_8]

Well I guess I'm the odd one out...........I'd eat it. Is it really all that different from drinking cow's breastmilk? Or goat's breastmilk? It's about time people are finding other good uses for breastmilk. I hope they do it.

[MommyMaryann]

I saw that yesterday too Crystal. No way, YUCKY! I would try my own, (try/taste, not eat a whole hot fudge sundae out of it) but I could not eat someone elses.

[GrowBabyGrow]

They would never do it. I doubt they could get enough milk to even make it possible anyway. Milk banks and other moms are constantly looking for donors for sick preemies so to take that milk and make ice cream...???

[*Vero*]

It's funny.. my initial gut reaction is the same as just about everyone else... but I find it silly that I feel this way! I'm a milk lover and have no problem drinking milk that came from a cow (that has probably be living in very gross conditions) and yet the thought of drinking someon'es human milk disgusts me... It makes no sense that I should feel that way.. but I'd probably not eat the ice cream (and feel very silly for it as well)

[Mel_Kay]

Hmmm, looks like I would be losing some weight if they made ice cream using human milk. The thought is just strange to me.

[JenniferT]

I had heard about it and it is just weird to me too..

[emills]

Im with Jessica. Id eat it. Ive used my own BM on my cereal, in my coffee, ect when I ran out of soy milk (since I dont do dairy) and it doesnt phase me at all. It is a bit sweet though, LOL! Which would work well for ice cream- less sugar or unnatural sweeteners would be used as well! Human milk- if obtained under certain conditions is MUCH purer and cleaner than cows milk. Not to mention the lack of lactose/milk protien for those with allergies, the lack of added bovine hormones and antibiotics, the lack of pesticides and who know what else those cows are exposed to, no concerns of "mad cow disease", and more humane for the bovine population in general. Maybe its just cause Im actually a PETA member, and have seen first hand what these animals go through- but I think its a great idea!

[amy1980]

[rachna]

I have mixed thoughts, on one hand I think GROSS but on the other hand I am a big fan of PETA and an animal rights adovocate so I think why not. I was joking with DAvid it would be a great way to earn extra money selling them my milk

[itsmenatalie]

It's funny.. my initial gut reaction is the same as just about everyone else... but I find it silly that I feel this way! I'm a milk lover and have no problem drinking milk that came from a cow (that has probably be living in very gross conditions) and yet the thought of drinking someon'es human milk disgusts me... It makes no sense that I should feel that way.. but I'd probably not eat the ice cream (and feel very silly for it as well)[/b]

My thoughts exactly!

[alilangel7]

I can't imagine eating ice cream made from someone else's (or my own) breastmilk...yuck!

[Astrid]

I'm also in the minority & I'm NOT a big fan of PETA b/c I don't like any crazy activist groups at all. I do respect animals & their rights but I eat them too. With that said, Todd told me about the restaurant that is using BM & I told him, "Well, why not? If it is good enough for babies to start their lives with & is filled w/ nutrition, what is the issue?" I believe we *think* it is weird b/c it isn't a societal norm like drinking cow milk is. As it is, I don't eat B&J's ice cream b/c it is so darn expensive & they are pretty snooty about it. I can only imagine how expensive it would be if it was made w/ human milk!

Oh, for the record...I think I would probably pump a few hrs a day & give it to the highest bidder. I am considering donating some milk in the near future b/c I think someone else's baby should benefit from what I can give.

I would try my own, (try/taste, not eat a whole hot fudge sundae out of it) but I could not eat someone elses.[/b]

You're braver than I am..LOL! DH keeps saying he wants to taste it but still hasn't..

Im with Jessica. Id eat it. Ive used my own BM on my cereal, in my coffee, ect when I ran out of soy milk (since I dont do dairy) and it doesnt phase me at all. It is a bit sweet though, LOL! Which would work well for ice cream- less sugar or unnatural sweeteners would be used as well! Human milk- if obtained under certain conditions is MUCH purer and cleaner than cows milk. Not to mention the lack of lactose/milk protien for those with allergies, the lack of added bovine hormones and antibiotics, the lack of pesticides and who know what else those cows are exposed to, no concerns of "mad cow disease", and more humane for the bovine population in general. Maybe its just cause Im actually a PETA member, and have seen first hand what these animals go through- but I think its a great idea![/b]

I won't start a PETA debate but my parents are dairy farmers and DH's parents are poultry farmers - I do not think ALL farms are mistreating their animals at all. The pictures that PETA show are the worst they never show the farms where the animals are treated humanely. If you ask me what would you do if you had over a million dairy cows not milking in the US because it wasn't "humane" to the cows? My guess is we would have them crapping and running around everywhere..

I'm just going to stop now, I'm a down to earth home-grown farm girl who has depended on dairy/poultry operations for family income all my life. Not to mention I participate and support all forms of hunting..so ya'll will probably jump on me!