With information abounding on the health benefits of breast milk for infants, a growing number of under-producing mothers are eschewing formula and instead turning to online marketplaces to buy breast milk directly from other moms. In the past year, somewhere around 55,000 women sold their excess breast milk online, up from 13,000 in 2011.
Business may be booming for sellers, but parents on the buying end really have no idea what they’re feeding their children, and experts are loudly warning that the risks far outweigh the benefits.
Simply put, breast milk sold online has the potential to contain unwanted bacteria or viruses, could come from someone using illegal drugs or nicotine, or may be fraudulently supplemented with cow’s milk. In some cases, it’s all of the above.
FoodWorld 