Government officials in London, England, have confiscated ice cream made with human breast milk from a local ice cream parlour over concerns the dessert is unsafe.
An official from Westminster City Council told the Associated Press Monday it was responding to two complaints from the public over whether The Icecreamists ice cream shop should be selling edibles made from other people's bodily fluids.
It said it was awaiting guidance from Britain's Food Standards Agency. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, in keeping with council policy.
The official said the ice cream, marketed as "Baby Gaga" and launched last week, is being tested with the full cooperation of The Icecreamists.
When the parlour launched the ice cream Friday, they said they had paid women who donated their breast milk, after their health had been screened.
The milk was pasteurized and churned together with cream, sugar, vanilla beans and lemon zest. The dish came in a martini glass, selling for 14 pounds ($22.50) each.
Matt O'Connor, who owns the company, says the product is "organic, free-range and totally natural."
The ice cream parlour sold out of its first batch of breast milk ice cream last week but quickly posted a sign promising that more "Baby Gaga" was on its way.
In Canada, Health Canada has warned against the sharing of human breast milk because of possible health risks. It said in a statement in November that breast milk could be contaminated with viruses, such as HIV or hepatitis, or bacteria that can cause food poisoning, such as Staphylococcus aureus. They also noted that traces of prescription or non-prescription drugs can be transmitted through human milk.
With reports from the Associated Press
