Breast is Best?
I consider myself an animal lover as much as the next person, but sometimes I think PETA goes too far.
PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an organization that lobbies for the animal rights, recently sent a letter to the founders of Ben & Jerry's ice cream urging them to replace the cow's milk used to produce their ice cream with breast milk.
They're concerned about the welfare of dairy cows -- but what about the welfare of the women producing the breast milk? Does animal rights trump human rights?
Sure, we all know "breast is best," but really, would you eat ice cream knowing that it was made from human breast milk?
I intend to breastfeed Baby Champuru for at least 6-12 months, knowing the health benefits for her. But would I consider spiking Hubby's breakfast cereal with my breast milk or using it to cook up some corn chowder for the next family potluck? Um, no.
Honestly, I'm not sure what it is that freaks me out about it. I mean, if it's good enough for my baby, why wouldn't I consider consuming it myself? I'm not sure, but it just seems so... wrong. What do you think?
If Ben & Jerry’s decided to go with PETA’s suggestion, I guess they’d have to change their logo, now wouldn’t they? I wouldn’t want to imagine what that would look like.
Comments
first of all... does ben and jerry have a plan on how to sterilization? i love how they just come up with an idea without offering a plan.
i've always felt that PETA is just one group of idiots. they are completely non-progressive in their cause.
i'm not against ending cruelty to animals.
but if they start using breast milk in ice cream then that's one thing i won't have a problem passing up come dessert time!
Well, luckily, our Ben & Jerry's ice cream is safe. They declined the request by PETA.
Breast milk for babies is one thing, but mass production for the general population is so many levels of wrong!
Read this great blog entry about it:
http://www.pineapplejuice.net/freshly-squeezed/?p=244
I applaud PETA's efforts for trying to find an alternative to cow's milk.. BUT... why breastmilk? I'm sorry but that's just disgusting. I would NEVER eat that ice cream. I don't even like the idea of trying my own milk. I dunno why, since it's from MY body. LOL. But I wouldn't want to try any one else's! YUCK. Also, isn't the consistency of breastmilk different than cow's milk? And would they rather people hooked up to those machines and start milking women? I don't understand exactly how that would work. I would rather save my breastmilk for my own baby, not to feed other people ice cream. That sounds like a sick fetish.
And why aren't they encouraging soy milk instead???
Thanks
i think PETA, though, has some insane idea that breast milk has added bonuses of being really good for us, since it has so many added benefits for babies who are breastfed. having said that, the key to breast milk is in the very early stages when the mother first begins to breastfeed. and THAT milk really does need to be reserved for the baby. NOT for ice cream.
what angers me about PETA is that they do this shit so often. they come up with an idea that's not well researched at all. so for me, i DON'T apllaud them for their efforts because it was a very irresponsbile idea that lacked any planning or research. you are right... the milk IS a different consistency then cow milk. it's runnier and tastes different. and i was reading what one of the people from an organization that supports breast feeding said (who incidentally disagreed with PETA) - they claim that the dymanic of breast milk in every mother and the dynamic of it's relationship with the baby changes from one mother to the next and from one baby to the next. it's not a constant variable that can be controlled.
i'm not a scientist but if some one like me can completely understand that, why can't PETA?
also, has PETA ever considered the sociological impact this would have? i'm sure if this were to happen, this would involve paying mothers for their breast milk. and the families that would do this would be from the lower, socio-economical class... i can assure PETA that we'll probably see more malnutritioned baby as such families need to make ends meet since in order to get an adequate amount of milk from a mother's breast, she would have to be pumping a LOT more then what one can get out of a cow in one sitting.
so, my thoughts are that PETA's idea is not just gross, because it is, but that the plan doesn't even make sense.
but... i'm glad PETA said what they said. it's about time that people saw them for their true colours.
for people who want to support an organization that cares about animals, they should support the humane society - not PETA.