PETA urges Ben & Jerry's to use breastmilk

by Bethany Sanders (Subscribe to Bethany Sanders's posts) Sep 26th 2008 1:00PM

(Click the photo for more Absurd PETA Antics)

Last week, Roger wrote about a Swiss restaurant that plans to use human breastmilk in 75% of it's recipes in place of cow's milk. PETA, for one, thinks the idea is a great one. They recently wrote a letter to ice cream experts Ben & Jerry's, urging them to use breast milk in their ice cream instead of cows milk.

"The breast is best! Won't you give cows and their babies a break and our health a boost by switching to cow's milk in Ben & Jerry's ice cream?" the letter read. Someone needs to tell PETA that people don't eat Ben & Jerry's for the health benefits.

Ben & Jerry's, ever the diplomats, responded kindly: "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."

Look, I care about cows. I really do. I want them to be treated in an ethical and humane manner, and I'm willing to pay a little extra for products that promise that. And really, we're not big milk drinkers in our family, anyway. But when I buy a pint of "Everything But The..." to enjoy while watching Grey's Anatomy, I don't want that "everything" to include another women's breast milk. But like Ben & Jerry's, I applaued PETA for making people take notice.

What do you think?

Absurd PETA Antics(click thumbnails to view gallery)

Source

Comments (29)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Mihir 9-26-2008 @ 2:04PM

"I applaued [sic] PETA for making people take notice."

make people take notice of what? PETA's idiocy?

Dr. Perline 10-05-2008 @ 3:17AM

HIV and other serious infectious diseases can be transmitted through breast milk.

2Joys 9-26-2008 @ 2:24PM

I thought this was interesting, but I was wondering how PETA planned to gather all of this breast milk. I am sure there is a long line of babies who would benefit from all the breast milk it would take to create a pint of ice cream.

emjaybee 9-26-2008 @ 3:03PM

Wouldn't work. Human milk is much less fatty than cow's milk, you couldn't make butter out of it either, for that matter. (the fattiest milk is the kind that baby seals get...almost pure cream so they can fatten up fast! I watch too many science shows.)

I am sympathetic to animal rights, but PETA is super annoying....

Robin 9-29-2008 @ 10:12AM

Yeah I'm sympathetic to animal rights as well, however the PETA group is an embarrassment.

Karen 9-26-2008 @ 2:59PM

PETA could have suggest all kinds of milk alternatives but it isn't really interested in changing Ben & Jerry's. It is only interested in garnering publicity. And look - it worked.

Mihir 9-26-2008 @ 7:13PM

exactly. it will make us all point and laugh at them even more.

Clifton Karr 9-26-2008 @ 3:19PM

Peta Peta Peta. What have you gals been drinking. But while I have your attention. I have a question. What is the milk production of the average breast. Who is going to apply for this job.
Wanted women to be used as milkers. Production must be 3.5 pounds per day.
And as for the dairy industry no milk needed no cows needed off to the slauther house for all of them.

Michelle 9-26-2008 @ 5:38PM

What about the humane treatment of women? In order to produce the amount of milk needed to continue with B&J's ice cream output, the lactating women would have to be attached to milking machines and treated just as dairy cows. How is this any better, and as a pp has already pointed out, it is taking liquid gold out of the mouth of babes, who would benefit from it more than people who are consuming ice cream.

Also, have you taken a gander at the ad? VERY offensive!

crystal 9-26-2008 @ 5:50PM

Well, i for one, as a Breastfeeding Mother find that to be discusting,
Umm hello? ever read the L:abel on a Breastpump? it says DO NO SHARE.. well that is for a reason. A few viruses can pass through breast milk, HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is one of them.

A few other illnesses--such as herpes, hepatitis, and beta streptococcus infections--can also be transmitted through breast milk.

crystal 9-26-2008 @ 5:51PM

c_rousseau05 9-26-2008 @ 11:11PM

As the breastfeeding mother of a 13 month old I agree with Ben & Jerry's in their response. A mothers milk is best used for her child. Rather than bottling it up and using it in recipes for the general public it should be used to make our children healthier. I'd be more inclined to donate my milk to be bottled up for other babies than to market it to the general public. Doesn't PETA realize how precious mothers milk is? How hard we have to work to keep it going and how much thought goes in to our diets and exersize programs just so we can supply "good milk" to our babies? Not that cows don't work hard but hey, they can supply millions when we have to work hard just to supply one or two children. It's not something that every woman can do either, some have problems and those are the mothers who need donated breastmilk for their babies, orphaned children need donated breastmilk for their nutrition.........not ice cream consumers. I mean, I applaud the guy who wants breastmilk in his food and his decision on why but I wonder how he will come about the milk, that's a lot of supply taken from babies who potentially need it. Obviously PETA cares more for animals and the ice cream consumer than the babies who need the milk to grow strong in their early years of life.

Abby V 9-27-2008 @ 9:34AM

I applaud Ben & Jerry for being so diplomatic in response to PETA. Since I don't have to be diplomatic, I'd like to voice out what must have been said by B&J after reading the request, " WTF are they talking about?!!" Really, what the heck were they thinking? As a breastfeeding Mom, my breastmilk is for MY baby's consumption! It's not for sale so that the public can enjoy it in their ice cream. I will absolutely, in no uncertain terms, NOT buy anything that touts, "MADE WITH REAL BREASTMILK" as an ingredient. This just proves what I've thought of about PETA; PETA cares more for the humane treatment of ANIMALS and less about humane treatment of PEOPLE.

Derek 9-27-2008 @ 9:31AM

This just goes to show how wacked out the people behind PETA are. There are so many things wrong with this...

For one, we are not cows, we are higher on the food chain than cows... I don't need God or anyone else to tell me that. Before you know it PETA will be telling me to eat steaks made out of human meat.

Which brings me to my second point, WHEN THE HELL did things take a shift from not beating your dog to cows/butterflies/cockroaches any living breathing creature should be treated equal or better than the reigning animal species (humans).

PETA can just eat me (damn I prob shouldn't use that expression around them)

Mary K. N. 9-27-2008 @ 2:34PM

Human milk contains mercury if the mother has "silver" dental fillings. It also contains traces of any illegal drugs she has taken. And who would pump and sell her milk except someone desparate for money? Human milk contains so little fat (cream) that it looks bluish. It is not a substitute for cream.

This whole idea is unbelievably gross.

No wonder so many people think we're at the end of the world.

Mom247 9-27-2008 @ 2:45PM

I think it's interesting the varied viewpoints of both sides. I am a mother that fought very hard 2 nurse my 4 children. I was successful thanks to herbal supplements, teas & good ole pumping b4, during & after nursing. I am thankful for this as I could not possibly afford going to a breast milk bank but I would have?! I couldn't bear puking after every meal ... I wasn't going to make my children do that. But yeah ...

As a mother, I pay close attention to what my children consume. They ate all the organic baby foods until 1ish. I make sure to buy the milk/meat without the growth hormones. We consume a very minimal number of empty calories unless @ family functions (picnics, bday's ..etc). Blah, blah, blah ... So we hardly ever eat ice cream ... even though we all love it ... but I would purchase such a product like suggested! I would rather eat a product made from human milk than a cow, goat, or whatever? lol I saw how amazing it was for everything ... stuffy noses, diaper rashes, etc. But that's just myyyyyyyyy opinion. =)

It wouldn't be hard for a lactating mother to help donate? Also any female can lactate just by stimulating milk glands even without having a child ... our bodies are amazinggggg! They would just have to go through the same requirements that women who donate to a milk bank go through.

I know I might get slammed for this? ... just remember I am one person with my personal opinion ... u don't have to agree, like, love, etc. what I said. There's enough mean angry people in the world.

Have a great day! I want some ice cream nowwwww! =/ lol

Jessi Williams 9-27-2008 @ 3:02PM

I am a breastfeeding mother who also donates extra breast milk for a human milk bank. All my donated milk gets processed like dairy products do so it is safe for premature babies. While I don't suggest that the best use of breastmilk is to make ice cream, I do think that if breastfeeding moms donated to babies in need, our kids would be healthier and people wouldn't think breastmilk is gross. After all, cows milk and milk products are produced with the equivalent of cow breast milk.

Judy 9-27-2008 @ 3:12PM

This is almost as stupid an idea as that guy who's hanging upside down for 36 hours.....no, maybe stupider!!
What do they suggest a big barn with mothers lined up taking the place of the proverbial cows??
And who are these oh so generously endowed Mothers that can provide for their own wee barens and the "Can't wait to drink it" mother's milk world??
Put stupid and greedy together and you get an insane idea like this one.

mother goose 9-29-2008 @ 8:36AM

"The breast is best! Won't you give cows and their babies a break and our health a boost by switching to cow's milk in Ben & Jerry's ice cream?"
Did no one catch this? This is a quote from the article. Breast milk is best, so switch to COWS milk? Someone made a mistake --should read "switch to breast milk".

Either way, BAD idea.

Jason 9-29-2008 @ 8:30PM

Wow, that tops them all for the PETA dorks. What the hell is wrong with these people? Seriously!! They care more about damn animals than they do humans. Ben and Jerry's already uses cows that are treated well and are not fed any chemicals or growth hormones. PETA schmucks think that it hurts a cow when it is milked. From what I have learned in the farming industry and what I learned in biology, it relieves the cows udders. What is with the part about giving the cows and their babies a break. WHAT ABOUT HUMAN BABIES. you take breast milk to make ice cream, what are human babies going to drink? These PETA people are idiots. Arent they the ones who who burned down half of VAIL ski resort because they were cutting trees down to make a hotel or something? or are they the ones who Burned a whole lot of SUV's becuase they polute the air? yeah they are idiots.

| 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 20 Comments

How To Submit Photos:
If you'd like your children (any age will do!) featured on ParentDish, upload photos into the ParentDish Flickr Pool. Be sure to read our main Flickr page for more information.