GOT (breast) MILK?

[ThufferinThuccotash]

Can human breast milk be made into other dairy products like cheese, yogurt or ice cream? Are there any cultures where this is practiced?

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TT

"Believe those who seek the truth.
Doubt those who find it." --Andre Gide

[Lumpy]

Other than as a novelty item, I doubt it. The whole point of dairy animals is to convert stuff humans can't eat- grass and such -into something they caneat: milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. Feeding "milk maids" so they can produce human milk would be a waste of resources.


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Point and Click: How Custer discovered he'd run out of ammo.

[Pooch]

I think 'Mothers Milk Ice Cream'(for infants) would be a great idea. We could manufacture the ice cream overseas in some country where labor is cheap and breast milk is plentiful.

[dasmoocher]

Another important aspect of breast feeding is that the infant aquires certain types of antibodies from its mother's milk. I like the pun about cultures, though, if that's what it was.

[Leslie]

But the question is can you make cheese, yogurt or ice cream out of breast milk, not should you.

I've often wondered the same thing myself.

I remember expressing breast milk and noticing the layer of "cream" that would rise to the top.

[lvick]

I would be pretty surprised if it couldn't be done, probably with the same cultures we use for cow milk, but I agree that it's probably impractical,
Larry

[mangeorge]

Sure you could, but has anyone (other than myself) ever tasted breast milk? I think I would pass on the cheese. :)
Peace,
mangeorge

[HeadlessCow]

Someone, I believe it was Philip Jose Farmer, wrote a story about an alternate reality in which women were bread and treated like cows. The women were raised in farms and bred for stupidity and docility and their ability to create milk. The milk was supposedly used for all that cow milk is used for here. While I admit that this is exactly proof it is possible, it at least suggests that other people think it is.

[Jophiel]

...wrote a story about an alternate
reality in which women were bread...
This explains the yeast infections.

Sorry about that.

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"I guess it is possible for one person to make a difference, although most of the time they probably shouldn't."

[Pooch]

I've tasted it...yummy! I think ice-cream is the ticket. Planet Hollywood could get some wholesome stars breast milk and make milk shakes. I'm sure some Japanese tourist would pony up several hundred dollars for a perky strawberry Meg Ryan shake or a sultry chocolate Kim Bassinger shake. For the live fast die young crowd--an Orange Madonna Freeze.

[topolino]

No idea if this is an urban legend but my coworkers, men who think this is a GREAT idea, say that there is some cheese produced in Europe from human milk that sells for a fortune.

Someone, I believe it was Philip Jose Farmer, wrote a story about an alternate reality in which women were bread and treated like cows. The women were raised in farms and bred for stupidity and docility and their ability to create milk.

If it's the story I'm thinking of, it was written by Piers Anthony. I believe its title was In the Barn.

[EvilGhandi]

Yes, Just look on the shelves of a supermarket in any industrialized nation. Boob cheese, boob yogurt and hell, big ol cartons of boob milk are just sitting there, available for consmption.

[funneefarmer]

I wonder if you could get away without Pasteurization/ Homogenization etc. How about instead of adding Vit. D we add caffeine, I always thought that that would be the key to increasing milk sales myself. The problem is instead of buying it off the shelf there will be women on every street corner selling it 'Direct from the source'. Hey don't they do that now?

[Nickrz]

Let's not forget the allure of breast milk is primarily the attractive containers and the usual delivery method.

[GregAtlanta]

Soooo....what does breast milk taste like?
I've always wondered, and can't remember from my days as a wee little guy with complete access.
Anything at all like cow's milk??
-- Greg, Atlanta

[dougie_monty]

I'm curious about another aspect of breastfeeding: How late can a mother nurse her children? According to Isaac Asimov in "The Human Body," a woman will lactate only as long as "milk is regularly drawn from the breast." One woman I know (age 46!) gave birth, but told me her baby's appetite was more than the mother could handle, so she quit nursing and started using formula. Do nursing mothers usually 'call it quits' after age 2 or so? Or have some managed to continue to lactate indefinitely? I admit to knowing absolutely NOTHING about this topic.

[Shirley Ujest]

As long as there is a demand for breast milk, the body will produce it. There are some women for a variety of reasons who cannot produce adequate supply for their child. Usually this can be caused by dietary, medicines, multiple births or just a hungry eater.

I have heard stories of women breast feeding their kids well after two. In this country. These women are nuts. When they can't get Bobbie or Suzie to leave home at thirty, it will be a little wonder why. These are the same women who wear matching outfits with their daughters. After the first year (or earlier) a child can switch over to cows milk, provided the family doesn't have any milk allergies.

[mangeorge]

Main Entry: wet nurse
Function: noun
Date: 1620
: a woman who cares for and suckles children not her own.
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Peace,
mangeorge

[Sue Duhnym]

I'm pretty sure it could, however impractical.

I am still nursing my seven month old and if I pump a bottle (for her future consumption) the most I can get at a sitting is about 5 ounces. I guess that would make a slice of Kraft, maybe. :o)

BTW, my husband says it tastes like regular milk, only sweeter.

[Leslie]

Soooo....what does breast milk taste like?
I've always wondered, and can't remember from my days as a wee little guy with complete access.
Anything at all like cow's milk??

I must admit, I got a little curious and dipped my finger in for a taste after I had expressed a bottle for my daughter. It's not bad! Less fat than cow's milk but more sugar. I didn't swish it around and sniff it and get a full sensory experience, but from that one taste I can tell you to warm up some skim milk to about 98.6 degrees Farenheit, then stir in a bit of sugar, and you'll have a rough idea.

[Czarcasm]

Why am I seeing a bunch of posts saying,"Gee, I wonder what it tastes like?" FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF! Are you men(and women!)such prudes that you never, ever tasted what mommy has produced?
As far as human milk products go, howzabout Dolly Parton Pudding Pops?

[Sara Alexis]

How long can a human create breast milk? The first is true. As long as it is regularily expressed, it will be replenished. The "natural" length of time would be about six years for a human infant. That is when the immune system that is being suplimented by the milk, is mature. However, I think it has been common in a few cultures (mostly historically though!)for a mother or a wet nurse to be breast feeding a child for many years past six.

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Growing old is manditory. Growing wise is optional.

[mr john]

So instead of 'squeeze cheese' we have boob tube,I claim trademark on YaYa Yogurt,and Busty Butter. The packaging is going to make Land O'Lakes look pathetic. No cutting up the carton either. BTW it's yummy specially right from the source. Take that prudes.

[TheIncredibleHolg]

Sara: six years?! If it weren't for the rest of your post, I would've thought you meant months.

I cannot believe this is the 'natural' thing to do. Who says so, anyway? I think it is hard to determine what would be 'natural' for humans, what with all our cultural development overriding our instincts.

With your mention the immune system, I guess you are referring to the protection against allergies that is supposed to be given by breast milk. To the best of my knowledge, this protection ends as soon as you start adding any food other than breast milk, and the child's immune system is pretty much on its own from then on. (Not that that's any problem if the kid is, say, 4-6 months old.) And you don't mean to feed a child on breast milk only for six years, do you?

[JoltSucker]

If it has to do with breasts, I must reply.

My wife nursed our first child until he was almost three. I think I read somewhere (La Leche literature?) that babies should be nursed at least two years for maximum antibody benefit.

For the record, breast milk tastes like sweet, watery, warm skim milk. The taste is not all that great, but getting it is a whole lotta fun...

[voltaire]

So instead of 'squeeze cheese' we have boob tube,I claim trademark on YaYa Yogurt,and Busty Butter. The packaging is going to make Land O'Lakes look pathetic. No cutting up the carton either. BTW it's yummy specially right from the source. Take that prudes.


There ya go, you've just come up with a practical use for cloning. They could sell breasts by the pair and advertise them as the freshest way to buy milk. Makes you wonder who's breasts they would clone for such an endeavor.