Outlet Selling Human Breast Milk Sealed in Chennai
Outlet Selling Human Breast Milk Sealed in Chennai
An outlet in Chennai selling human breast milk at ₹500 for 100 ml has been sealed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Officials had been monitoring the establishment for ten days following a complaint about the alleged sale of human milk. Although no sales occurred during the observation period, a surprise inspection on Friday led to the recovery of a stock of human breast milk.
Key Points
• The shop owner reportedly sold human milk for Rs 500 per 50 ml bottle
• Had a licence to sell protein powder
• About 50 bottles containing the mother’s milk were confiscated
Dr. M Jagadish Chandra Bose, Designated Officer of the Food Safety Department in Tiruvallur, explained that one batch of 100 ml bottles was labeled as pasteurized human breast milk, while another batch listed the donor mothers’ names. “We don’t know what procedure they adopted to pasteurize the milk. We will take further action after investigation,” Dr. Bose stated.
Earlier this month, the FSSAI issued an advisory warning against the commercial sale of human milk and its products. “This office is in receipt of representations from various registered societies regarding the commercialization of human milk and its products. In this regard, it may be noted that FSSAI has not permitted the processing and/or sale of human milk under the FSS Act 2006 and rules/regulations made thereunder,” the May 24 advisory stated.
Dr. Bose noted that human milk is usually collected and administered to neonatal infants under medical supervision. In a news channel interview, the person in charge of the outlet claimed they had ceased selling human milk upon learning it was illegal. He asserted that the milk had been obtained from mothers in hospitals. Authorities are also investigating this claim.
