Posing as a father of a six-month-old child, a reporter for the BBC program Inside Out bought breast milk from 12 mothers across the country.
The 12 samples of breast milk were taken to Coventry University where microbiologists analyzed the milk. Tests on the milk found that four samples contained Escherichia coli, two samples contained Candida albicans, which causes thrush, and one contained Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a pathogen linked to the deaths of four babies in neonatal units in Belfast two years ago.
The BBC report said there were numerous websites, including onlythebreast.co.uk, that included classified sections geared toward people buying and selling breast milk. There are also sections for men wanting to buy breast milk or are interested in being breastfed.
According to the Huffington Post, Dr Sarah Steele from Queen Mary University of London told Inside Out that parents have “heard the message breast is best, which is absolutely the case, but this is stuff bought off the Internet.”
She added, “You don’t know the seller, you don’t know how they’ve been storing it, you don’t know what it contains and, more pertinently, they’re often doing this for profit and that poses the risk that they may tamper with it, water it down, be it with water, formula, cow’s milk or soy milk.”
The U.K. Food Standards Agency (FSA) pointed out that selling breast milk online is legal, but the agency advises consumers not to buy breast milk online, for all the obvious reasons. The FSA added that businesses such as the website, “Only the Breast” can’t prove the milk was collected in a sanitary manner or if the milk has been adulterated, reports Food Safety News.
The FSA can take action against any business selling products found to be harmful to the public’s health. The BBC investigation came after the results of a survey done by Netmums revealed that one in 50 mothers were sharing breast milk through free online websites.
The survey was conducted in 2011, with 2,012 women taking part. The study showed that 44 percent of women would consider sharing their breast milk. Editor-in-chief of Netmums, Anne-Marie O’Leary said: “Milk sharing is the ultimate milk of human kindness. In a world where almost everything is now commercialised, it’s wonderful to see families coming together to help and support each other for free.”
Dr. Steele noted that parents should be aware that breast milk sold online is not pasteurized, and more than likely contains dangerous pathogens. She added that almost 93 percent of breast milk purchased online was found to be contaminated with bacteria.
This story also follows a study done in the U.S. on the profitability of selling breast milk online. The study was reported by Digital Journal on April 6 this year. That study found that one in 10 bottles of breast milk are adulterated with cow’s milk or infant formula.
