MANILA, Philippines - Breast milk contains antibodies, living cells, enzymes, hormones, and fatty acids that has led some people to label it as superfood. But would you use or eat products such as soaps, ice cream and even pendants made from a mother’s breast milk?
As soap
An anonymous mother sells a breast milk soap on Taobao, a website of Chinese market place. The idea of creating this odd product started when her baby refused her breast milk. There are no listed medical benefits of rubbing breast milk soap on the skin, but she claims nevertheless that her breast milk could reduce rashes. The product is proving popular on Taobao (the Chinese equivalent to eBay and Amazon). With over 500 million registered users, the soap product is getting a lot of popularity. The soaps come in the shapes of rabbits, turtles and fish.
The idea was criticized by Chinese doctors, saying that the soap could spread diseases if the breast milk is from an unhealthy mother. An article from Dailymeal claims that doctors confirm that the soap-making process destroys the nutrients of the breast milk.
In China, breast milk is a growing fad. This is not the first time that breast milk has been used in a bizarre way. There is the “wet nurse service” in which Chinese people pay up to 16,000 yuan or £2,600 a month to buy breast milk and drink it either straight from the breast or after it has been expressed.
As ice cream
In London, there was a restaurant that used to sell ice cream made out of breast milk. The ice cream, served in a cocktail glass, is called Baby Gaga, which used to sell for £14. The company paid the breast milk providers £15 for every 10 ounces extracted using breast pumps. To make sure that the product is safe and edible, volunteering women undergo a health check and blood screening. Despite this, the Westminster Council seized the products for inspection in 2011 after receiving two complaints and for fears that it may spread the hepatitis virus.
As pendant
Lastly, do you know that you can wear a breast milk around your neck? Mommymilkcreations.com sells pendants made out of breast milk. It is set in high grade jewelry resin in either a gold filled (rolled gold) or sterling silver pendant. To make it appealing to the eye, they sell it in various shapes, such as stars, hearts, and circles.The pendant serves as a reminder of the breastfeeding bond between the mother and her child for a lifetime.