My jaw is still in the dropped position. I just saw that PETA wants Ben & Jerry’s to get milk for its ice cream from breast milk (as in nursing moms) instead of cows. Ummm… what???! Breast milk in Ben & Jerry’s???

Yes, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wrote the ice cream guys a letter asking them to make the switch because cow’s milk can cause health problems in us humans and the trade off would also reduce the suffering of cows and calves.

PETA says, “Because, like all mammals, cows only give milk during or after pregnancy, in order for humans to constantly milk them, they are forcefully impregnated every nine months. Many live in filthy conditions and are forced to give 10 times more milk than they would naturally. It’s truly an awful life.”

Apparently, PETA came up with the idea when the group heard that a restaurant in Switzerland has a new menu that includes soups, stews, and sauces made with at least 75 percent human breast milk.

Okay, I get the animal rights thing… and if you don’t want to drink cow’s milk, that’s fine, too. But seriously – breast milk? How would you get that much breast milk? How is that Swiss restaurant going about this?

Back to the PETA/Ben & Jerry’s issue…

Ben & Jerry’s response: “We applaud PETA’s novel approach to bringing attention to an issue, but we believe a mother’s milk is best used for her child.”

PETA’s response to the response: “Hey, guys, that’s our point: Cow’s milk is for baby cows.”

Ahhh. Now I get it – this is just PETA’s way to bring attention to the issue! I think it’s working.

Photo Credit: Ben & Jerry’s

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