A Somerset mother investigating the online breast milk market listed her surplus supply for sale and broke down in tears during the handover to an unexpected purchaser.
Exploring Surplus Milk Options
Alev Scott, a new mother in Somerset, produced more breast milk than her baby needed after her first child’s arrival. Research revealed an online marketplace where mothers sell excess milk. ‘I discovered this commercial market online,’ Alev Scott explained. ‘It made me question how I felt about selling my milk or others doing the same.’
Donation Challenges and Private Sales
In the UK, mothers donate to hospital milk banks, but the process involves extensive screenings, and not all supplies qualify. Many turn to private platforms like ONLYTHEBREAST.com, active in the UK and US. The site connects women selling or donating breast milk with buyers seeking natural sources.
Alev created a seller profile to probe the ethics and realities of the trade. Breast milk, classified as food, remains legal to sell despite lacking support from regulators like the UK Food Standards Agency or US FDA. The market operates with minimal oversight.
Buyers, Prices, and Surprising Demand
Prices range from £30 to £50 per liter, varying by freshness, seller diet, and age. While some buyers are parents unable to access official donations, most are men. ‘The majority of customers are men… I did not expect that,’ Alev observed.
Interest spans wellness enthusiasts, bodybuilders, cancer survivors, and those with IBS, drawn to claims of ‘liquid gold’ benefits from colostrum or mature milk for adults. Scientific evidence for adult health gains remains limited.
Emotional Handover to IBS Sufferer
Alev supplied milk to one buyer, Steve, a 60-year-old lorry driver citing severe IBS relief. She later suspected deeper emotional needs. ‘I felt like crying. I was giving away my child’s milk, my life force,’ she recalled during the frozen milk exchange.
Call for Better Regulation
Alev urges stricter oversight of the unregulated market. ‘Governments seem to turn a blind eye or ban it,’ she stated. ‘Everyone must address this for real change.’
