eBay Breast Milk Seller Leaves a Comment
February 23, 2007 by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Filed under breast milk, donation of breast milk
When I wrote about On-Line Auctions of Human Breast Milk, my inquiry to eBay resulted in the removal of one listing of breast milk for sale. eBay clarified that the sale of breast milk is not permitted but it never added breast milk to the prohibited “Human Parts and Remains” (which included blood and semen).
The other day the seller whose listing was removed left a comment on one of my posts. She offered some insight into eBay policies and practices:
They kicked it off e-bay as it violating the Food Policy as breast milk is an unpasteurized dairy product which is not allowed, but I can repost it over and over again and they don’t notice.
Indeed, the Food Policy says:
Prohibited Food Items: For the safety of eBay’s members, sellers may not list the following food and food-related items on eBay:
. . . Non-pasteurized dairy products . . .
I don’t know about you but I don’t consider breast milk a “dairy product.” Yes, it can be pasteurized, but it’s not “dairy.” “Dairy” is an animal product. The distinction is not something to get up in arms about, but I think it’s pretty funny and it’s indicative of yet another way in which people mistakenly view breast milk as interchangeable with cow’s milk (and artificial baby milk derived from cow’s milk). Wrong wrong, so very wrong.
I think it is a great idea to sell breast milk on Ebay. That is going to quite a niche market. However, Milk is not just an “animal product” but also, it is an “only mammal product.” And you my friend, seem to be a mammal as well as an animal. I am just saying, Humans are a type of animal too!
Eric Carlson
Humans are mammals but that does not make them animals. Although you are right in one sense. Some humans are pigs…. (Totally joking here, giving in the spirit in which it was received.)
breastmilk is not dairy. As soon as I find that information I’ll post it.
Comparison to other milks
All mammal species produce milk, but the composition of milk for each species varies widely and other kinds of milk are often very different from human breast milk.
Whole cow’s milk does not contain sufficient vitamin E, iron, or essential fatty acids, which can make infants fed on cow’s milk anemic. Whole cow’s milk also contains excessive amounts of protein, sodium, and potassium which may put a strain on an infant’s immature kidneys. In addition, the protein and fat in whole cow’s milk are more difficult for an infant to digest and absorb than breast milk. [1] Evaporated milk may be easier to digest due to the processing of the protein but is still nutritionally inadequate. A significant minority of infants are intolerant of lactose or allergic to one or more of the constituents of cow’s milk. These problems can also affect formula milk derived from cow’s milk.
Goat’s milk does not contain agglutinin, which means that the fat globules in goat’s milk do not cluster together like they do in cow’s milk, which makes goat’s milk easier for an infant to digest. Goat’s milk also does not contain many of the allergens found in cow’s milk. However, like cow’s milk, goat’s milk is also unsuitable for infants as it also does not have appropriate concentrations of electrolytes and can cause intestinal irritation and anemia[2].
from wikipedia
it’s also funny that unlike every other mamal, we prefer drinking COW’s milk insted of human milk, if you want to get real technical. A mammal should drink only the milk from that spiecies, and milk is only suspose to be drunk as infants. so technicaly if your going to have a glass of milk it’s suspose to be from humans
Uh, how is this regulated. How would anyone know if she had done drugs, was drinking, had a disease.
I am a huge breastfeeding supporter but this kind of thing gets into scary territory.
I am a mother of a child who was in the nicu for a month and pumped while he was on a feeding tube only to find out that he is allergic to my milk and is on a very expensive formula now so all the mil i had stored and put in a deep freeze now sits there. there are many babies out there whos mothers cant breast feed do to medical problems and i’m sure would be thrilled to give their baby the best. I have tried to donate my stored breast milk and no where will take it because the baby never latched on. Well hello he was in the nicu and on a feeding tube! I’m not sau=ying we should sell it but i would LOVE to donate it to a mother who would appreciate it. I have never drank smoked or done any drugs in my life and I’m free of any illnesses other than diabetes.