Ewwwwwwww!

No thanks!

Linda

I heard that story as well. Sorry, but yuck! Part of me can rationally say that when you think about it, it's not natural for us to be consuming the milk of any animals, so you could say it's just as gross to make cheese from cow, goat, or sheep's milk as it is human milk. But again - yuck! I just can't help being repulsed by the thought!

I used to leave breast milk for my mom to mix with my son's cereal in the morning - she babysat for me when I returned to work. One day she left the milk on the counter while she changed his diaper and came back to the cat drinking it lol!! My son is 22 now and my mom STILL loves to tell that story! That's as close as anyone (or anything) else came to my breast milk when my kids were babies and nursing!

Lisa

I don't know the exact details, but if they have an overabundance of milk for their newborn, they should be able to donate it. I used to know someone years ago who was like that. She had three or four kids and always produced way more milk than she needed. She donated the excess. The organization which took her milk provided her with everything she needed including a special refrigerator in which to store the milk till they could pick it up. Apparently it helps certain infants with certain illnesses or deficiancies to drink breast milk. Like I said I don't know all the details but I'm sure it wouldn't be that hard to find out.

IMO, better than making it into cheese, you know, but, WHATEVER!

May - this is what he said on his blog about donating it...

"We are fortunate to have plenty of pumped mommyÂs milk on hand and we even freeze a good amount of it  my spouse actually thinks of donating some to an infant milk bank which could help little babies in Haiti and such but for the meantime (the milk bank requires check-ups which takes a little while) our small freezer ran out of space. To throw it out would be like wasting gold."

Anyway, I've had a bit of time to reflect on the whole idea of Mommy's Milk Cheese and I think what *I* find offputting is that is somehow seems only a step away from cannibalism. I eat cow and sheep without batting an eye, so consuming the milk products from those animals doesn;t bother me. However, the whole human connection I think is what skeeves me jsut a bit. BTW - this is absolutely only my opinion and I am certainly not suggesting this is the rationale behind anyone elses interest (or aversion) in the product.

Alexa

Here is a link that might be useful: His blog

If you think about it, the human organism is more accustomed to the proteins in human milk than the milk from any other mammal. Our cultural upbringing makes us say 'EWWW' to this story, but the milk product itself is probably quite digestible and nutritious.

It's been reported that, in their old age, both John Jacob Astor and John D. Rockefeller hired wet nurses to provide breast milk for them. Astor died at 84 and Rockefeller died at 97. Quite remarkable for that time period.

If it's proven to be good for us, my question is: Will Medicare pay for this? Just wondering...

My question for the two elder icons, is how was the milk delivered? Direct from the source? If that was the case, the value of the milk was probably secondary.

Jo

I just threw up a little bit...

Read John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. Rose of Sharon, the migrant worker who lost her baby during the depression fed her breast milk to an old man who was starving to death to help keep him alive.
I guess it doesn't seem yucky to me in the case of helping somebody so they don't die, but making cheese from it...well I am not sure how I feel about that. And then selling it? Hmmm. Weird.

LOL Jo!

That did occur to me. Whatever it takes to keep the old codgers kicking, I guess.

Actually, the theme of a young woman providing breast milk for the nourishment of someone not an infant is a common one; the Etruscans had a myth about Juno breastfeeding the adult Hercules. The Romans had the story of Pero and Cimon, which classical painters loved to depict--I'm sure because it was an excuse to paint something that was a tad transgressive of the mores of the time. John Steinbeck used it in 'The Grapes of Wrath'. And just recently I seem to remember a bunch of people in a boat who were lost at sea who survived thanks to the generosity of a nursing mother.

Here is a link that might be useful: Roman Charity

As my friend Jan, who is still breast feeding, just said when I told her about this...

MOO!

Lisa posted:
"Part of me can rationally say that when you think about it, it's not natural for us to be consuming the milk of any animals,"

I don't get why anyone would think, rationally or otherwise, that it isn't natural for us to consume milk from cows, sheep, or goats. To me, it is very 'natural'.
In fact, the fact that these animals can give their milk on a continuing basis rather than only while their young need it, seems to be an indication that we are supposed to consume it.

And I can see mother's milk being donated to help infants who need it, whether here in the USA or in Haiti, or wherver there is a need.

The incident in 'Grapes of Wrath' is a very moving one.

The idea of mother's milk saving people in extreme circumstances is also very touching.

But making it into cheese?
And selling it?

E-E-E-E-E-E-W-W-W-W-W--W-W-W-W-W-W ! !

Rusty

Which, I think, is where the "eeew" factor comes in. Once you get past the whole privacy for bodily functions cultural aspect, there're the socio-political ones. One of the largest themes of the 20th century was the redefinition of the role of women in society. We've gone from our value being seen as baby-makers and rearers, and "women's work" no longer being defined as domestic chores, to a world in which we can choose how to employ our own fertility and few limits on the careers we can aspire to. We've reclaimed the "naturalness" of our bodies for procreation and nurishment of our young, but that doesn't mean we want to go back to being seen as baby making machines and wet nurses. To then have some guy, beloved of the woman in question or not, present one of of us, publicly, as, basically, a herd beast, is just creepy.

Well said, plllog.

The libertarian in me says, 'Hey, if it's not causing any public health problem, consenting adults can do whatever the heck they want.' But culturally the creep factor on this is really high, so I for one am not gonna be partaking of any human cheese. And I think the vast majority of people would think that way. But should it be prohibited? That's an interesting question. Should society prohibit stuff on the grounds of creepiness, and who gets to say what is creepy and what isn't? (Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?) Sort of like the dwarf-tossing craze a while back. I for one would never attend a dwarf-tossing event, nor if I were height challenged would I ever participate in one. But I wouldn't want to outlaw consensual behavior just because it offends somebody--there would have to be a strong logical argument against it.

And if human cheese were to take off, I don't even want to think about the marketing schemes. California is already claiming that their cheese is best because their cows are the happiest...what would Madison Avenue do with a product as weird as this?

When you care enough to drink the very breast???

Brilliant! ROFL

LOL, Maureen, you're tuned up today, aren't you? (grin)

I figure if people will drink Kopi Luwak coffee (that stuff from the cat poop), then they'd probably eat breast milk cheese...

Heck, I don't even like goat's milk cheese or moldy (blue) cheese so I think I'll pass.

Annie

Words simply fail me.

Oops I didn't read the blog comments.

I agree that plllog put it well. I don't at all feel comfortable with the idea of women producing milk for commercial purposes. But you know, this guy made cheese and who knows what's going to happen next. It just takes one "authoritative" or trendy reviewer to say that this is THE "in" thing and we're off to the races.

Maureen, that's the second time in as many minutes that you've made me laugh out loud. Thanks!

Ick factor off the scale!! Worse than that coffee.

Did I miss it? No one noticed how much brasserie is like brassiere? (my first post on the cooking forum -- forgive me :-)

I won't pretend that the idea doesn't skeeve me a bit, but... If you consider that, as Alton Brown said in a Good Eats episode - milk is one substance produced by nature whose sole purpose is to be food, then I think that there are far grosser things that people eat. Rocky Mountain Oysters come to mind. I know I'd eat fondue made of mommy milk cheese in a heartbeat before I'd eat a bull's 'nads.

I had to tune in for a minute.

You people have to get abreast of things.lol!
Lou

La Leche League is the organization that has the donation/collection program.

They distribute mother's milk to babies who are sick or who are fragile, who can't digest other kinds of milk, who are at-risk due to environmental factors or famine, etc.

Plenty of good things you can do with extra mother's milk other than wasting it creating "cheese" that will eventually be thrown out because nobody wants it.

LOL, Lou!

I have to agree with Sylvia,Plenty of good things you can do with extra mother's milk other than wasting it creating "cheese" that will eventually be thrown out because nobody wants it.

FOAS, One I got past the initial "ewwww", that's pretty much the same conclusion I came to.

After much shaking his head and pondering, DH finally said, "I did start out on that nutrition plan, so I guess it doesn't bother me that much...."

One thing is for sure. We don't need this to be another opportunity for politicians to herd us into still more factions. I think we can each make our own decisions and act accordingly.

Jim

LOL, FOAS, it's funny, but I'll eat those "oysters" way before I'll eat moldy cheese.

The oysters don't taste like anything and they are like chewing rubber bands, but the blue cheese tastes moldy...

Haven't tried the coffee and I agree, there are better things to do with breast milk than make cheese for adults who can easily subsist on other foods. But then again, there are probably better uses for open land than grazing cattle...

Ah, well, as has been said, to each their own.

Welcome to the cooking forum ukigumo, what a thread to start with!

Annie

So, what's good for our babies isn't good enough for adults. Hmmm. Gotta think that one over. Actually, I can understand an initial reaction of eeww, but to me, this reinforces the problems women have just trying to feed their babies and getting harassed for it. I agree donating the milk would be the best option, and it sounds like they're working on that.

I can't imagine having excess milk, myself. My kids always had what they wanted when they wanted, and I never had surplus...just the right amount.

Sally

I just asked my 25 year old DS, who was breast fed for the first 1.5 yrs, if he would eat it. He said, "No way! Ewwwwwwww! That is gross!"

I agree and I love all kinds of cheeses. If he wanted to make it for his own family's consumption, fine, but to serve it in a restaurant. Double Ewwwwwwww! Wouldn't that be a health code violation?
Clare

"Wouldn't that be a health code violation? "

Just what I was afraid of. These days someone gets upset about something and their first reaction is "There oughta be a law". Legislators are only too willing to oblige. I hope you don't like incandescent light bulbs or any fatty or sugary foods. Those are just a few things which are on their way out, like it or not, courtesy of those who know what's best for us. If you have trouble sticking to a diet have no fear because the government will soon be here to help you.

OK. I will try to restrain myself from further ranting.

Jim

I'm glad you guys liked my ad slogan. ;o)

But seriously, I've read a little bit about this, and many nutrition scientists say that it is possible--in fact it's logical--for something to be good for babies and not for adults. Our digestive systems change as we turn from infants to children to adults. Supposedly we're designed to mature out of our need for milk. It is interesting that we're the only mammals who keep drinking milk and eating milk products throughout our lives. All other mammal species, as far as I know, stop as soon as they're weaned. There are theories that this is the reason for lactose intolerance and other dairy-digesting problems--that we're not supposed to be having milk past infancy. The fact that we distance ourselves from mother's milk by drinking the milk of other mammal mothers doesn't really change that. We can claim the ick factor, but aren't we just denying the obvious? We're a bunch of grown-ups nursing off of cows.

. . . She says as she tiptoes away to make some of that tasty-looking chocolate ice cream from the other thread . . .

"...we're the only mammals who keep drinking milk and eating milk products throughout our lives. All other mammal species, as far as I know, stop as soon as they're weaned."

Unless they have the opportunity. Adult cats, for instance will happily drink cows' milk. I'm sure other species will too, although I can't tell you off-hand which ones.

Jim

Top ten names not to call it:

10. Human Cheese
    9. Mommy milk cheese
    8. Naturally aged breast cheese
    7. boob curds,6...5...4...3...2...1...

You're right, Jim, but presumably that's because humans give it to them, in domesticated situations. Most vets say it's not good for them, and if you've ever had a cat or a dog get the bloats or the runs from drinking milk, you'd probably be inclined to agree.

My guess is that cats and dogs in the wild don't drink other species' mamas' milk, but I can't swear to that.

I tuned in to Regis and Kelly yesterday and Kelly shared some of this cheese with guest host Andy Richter. They both tasted it.

Ann

I literally shuddered when I read that, Ann. :-P I'd eat Rocky Mountain oysters before I ate "mommy milk cheese". Ick.

I find Regis more disgusting than boob curds.

Just my opinion. it's a free country -- for a while.

Jim

Would it be a health code violation? I believe the answer would be "yes", that someone could construct an argument using "approved food source" violations. (The specific wording differs area to area.) Should it be a health code violation? Another question altogether, and not one I'm inclined to argue either way. Give full disclosure and let folks decide for themselves, IMO.

Sally, must admit I hadn't even considered it that way. Nursing mother's don't bother me, although I appreciate it when they choose to be more discreet than one woman I saw who literally stripped to the waist to nurse. (However, I don't want to see men stripped to the waist inside the mall food court, either.)

Jim--I agree with your sentiments about how bad it is that the first reaction is often 'There ought to be a law'. We have plenty enough of them, thank you very much.

We pay farmers not to grow crops sometimes; we ought to pay legislators not to legislate. The overweening impulse to do something--anything--can have some ridiculous effects.

Some years ago, it was found that the warty bumps on the back of certain species of toads contained some alkaloids which had hallucinogenic properties, and some adventurous drug seekers were milking these warts for this substance and smoking it (The new age diet guru Andrew Weil has recorded the experience). Some other people would merely grab the toad and lick or suck its back. (You gotta really be desperate to get high to lick a toad's back, but that's another topic.) Tho point of this ramble is that the state I live in (South Carolina) was the first state in the union to outlaw toad-sucking.

I sleep so much better at night knowing there are dedicated legislators watching out for me...

What Maureen said - humans are the only animals that continue to drink milk after infancy. It's NOT natural. And it's certainly not natural to drink the milk of a different species. I'm not saying it's never been done - we've all seen stories where a mother cat nurses an abandoned baby squirrel or a dog nursing a baby skunk, etc. I've even seen pics of a dog nursing a baby deer! But that's not the norm. And I thought the only reason cows continue to produce milk is that humans artificially keep them pregnant? Any cow experts out there that know about this?

Believe me - I LOVE cheese. I could literally live on the stuff, so I'm not giving it up anytime soon. I could never be a vegan, not because I couldn't give up meat, but because I could never give up dairy!!

But seeing what we do to cows to keep milk production up, can you imagine if human "cheese" became popular?! It takes an awful lot of milk to make just a little cheese!! If we think breast size is important in our culture now, just wait lol!!

Lisa

we're the only mammals who keep drinking milk and eating milk products throughout our lives

and

What Maureen said - humans are the only animals that continue to drink milk after infancy. It's NOT natural.

We're also the only species who:
- domesticates other species for food and for companionship
- grows food
- cooks food
and a host of other things.

Are all those things NOT natural? I honestly don't know what "natural" means. As humans, we have the intelligence and ability to do a LOT of other things that other species don't do. How do you figure which of those is "natural" and which is not?

Lisa, cows will continue to produce milk as long as they are milked. I have to separate cows and calves at about 6 months of age so that the cow will stop having milk (dry up), or the calves will continue to nurse as long as the cow will let them. Some cows will allow it for years, although usually last year's calf is weaned when this year's calf is born. Calves of dairy cows are taken away from their mothers and given milk replacer because the milk is a commodity that can be sold. Beef cattle don't produce enough milk to bother to milk them commercially, so calves are allowed to stay with mothers for a longer period of time. That's why there are always a bunch of diary cattle bull calves for sale cheaply, they'll never produce milk and they aren't optimal to raise for beef, but beef cattle bull calves are expensive because they become the steers that produce those t-bones and rib-eyes.

As for species drinking the milk of other species, my barn cats always happily drank milk when we still milked cattle and I had an old dachshund that let Ashley's kitten nurse long after the cat got bigger than the dog. That cat was 4 or 5 years old and the dog was still nursing it.

I think infants of most species would drink the milk of another species if it was hungry. Is it optimal nutrition? I doubt it.

Annie

This thread has given me a good chuckle.

I breastfed all 4 of my kids and the youngest are twins so that was double work.

I think dh may have had a taste or two of breastmilk inadvertently during ummmm.... need I say more...

Now, mommy cheese?? Eh, I don't think so. Anyway that stuff is as thin as water. What the heck did he add to it to get cheese?

Well stated, Lowspark.

After thinking this whole thing over for awhile,
and reading everyone's opinions,
my bet is that these people are simply using the 'shock' theory to get into the lime light.

Obviously it is working for them.

Rusty

Well I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm using the term "natural" meaning that in nature, most animals wouldn't drink the milk of another species. Of course mankind is a totally different "animal" so to speak and does things food-wise that no other animals do. Altho ants "farm" aphids for the sweet liquid they produce and others "farm" fungus that they then eat.

Maybe it's just societal "norms" that program us to accept some things while rejecting others, but I would think it's safe to say that I doubt we'll be seeing human cheeses at the deli anytime soon!

Annie - thanks for the cows 101 lesson! I guess they're no different than humans then, because if you chose to, you could continue to produce milk long after your children are weaned. That's what wetnurses were for afterall!

Lisa

I NEVER said that there SHOULD be a law against it. I am not wild about Big Brother telling me what I can and can't do either. I asked if there was a pre-existing health code that it would violate. It seems like the restaurant business is heavily regulated as to what can or can not be served. And I have no problem with them serving it as long as they disclose what it is and let each person decide for themself. I still say Ewwwwwwww!
Clare