Breast is Best

Organic, free range and natural. No I’m not talking about a dozen eggs in fact I’m talking about breast milk.

Filling a niche of products made by human bodily fluids; Breast milk flavored ice cream is now a trend of the London ice cream scene. Taking the alias name of ‘baby gaga’, the ice cream is made with women’s lactating milk which is churned, frozen and sold for 14 pounds per scoop. In terms of taste the product is meant to be a little sweeter then cow or goats milk, but in terms of desire most are turned off by the ice-cream’s bizarre ingredient, hitting too close to home, due to the personal connection most have with their mothers milk. The intrigue only facilitating a buzz until the taste tells a different story.

Most people find it weird enough having to sit next to a stranger on public transport, let alone share in the tasting of products made from their female attributes. When we were babies, mothers didn’t pass the boob around for others to enjoy, how is this any different?

When asked most people reacted with responses of “ewww” “disturbing” and the questioning of whether people can really do that? Suggesting how in terms of our societies set up of what is edible and culturally taboo, breast milk is recognized in no way food fit for mature-aged humans.

So why did owner Matt O’Connor release such a flavour of ice cream? A pursuit to push the boundaries of eat-ability? Simple publicity? Or plain curiosity? Really the answer is as good as the guess to where he came up with the idea of using breast milk in the first place. Then again the product did sell out within three hours, so we cant say people’s intrigue didn’t stimulate purchasing, the question is: would they go back for more? Through some research I also found this is not the first case of using the product. A chef in New York used breast milk after becoming a new dad, to make breast milk cheese.

So where do we draw the line on edible products? Could a new food trend of the 21st century be foodstuffs made from human by-products? How far can ambiguous ingredients be taken before it’s too far? The politics surrounding foods, like breast milk ice cream, are complex in their ability to facilitate a change in views towards what is taboo. A well known Australian chef Gay Bilson wrote a story that adds to this ambiguity of ingredients. In her book called ‘Plenty’ Bilson talks about her idea to use her own blood to make blood sausages at the 1993 symposium of Australian Gastronomy, thankfully the negative response from her colleagues meant that the idea didn’t go ahead, but still the idea of using human blood goes beyond all expectations of bizarre gastronomy to just pure weird.

It seems this ice cream has sparked debates not only about copyright infringement - that of using Lady GaGas name but debates about how far society can push the limits of what ‘food’ is.

Let’s just hope Mr. Whippy’s future secret ingredient doesn’t change from pig fat to breast milk… then again what’s worse?

By Samantha Coutts
Photo: Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffreyww/4771651149/