B.C. woman sparks online backlash after donated breast milk sold

METRO VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A local woman has been banned from a Metro Vancouver group after she is said to have admitted to selling donated breast milk.

The Facebook group, Human Milk for Human Babies, allows moms to donate their breast milk to babies who need it, but one woman was banned after milk was found to have been sold.

Dozens of moms expressed their frustration online after realizing they had given milk to her. Screenshots shared on the site show many of them confronting the woman, who apologized and admitted to selling the milk.

“Donors are expected to do two things: make full disclosure about their milk, and not sell it,” reads a statement from the group. “This is a very unfortunate, very rare circumstance where someone has taken advantage of the altruism of our group.”

One of the moms says the woman tried to sell her milk for $1 an ounce.

The woman is said to have used multiple names when reaching out to the moms in the group.

(Human Milk 4 Human Babies/Facebook)

RELATED: BC gov’t wants to promote better access to breastfeeding for babies taken into care

“I donated to her a few months ago and got a really weird feeling about it too!” reads a comment from one of the moms. “She said she ‘desperately’ needed milk for her son but waited a week to pick up. When she finally came she asked ‘is that all?'”

“I’ve been seeing her ask for milk for 2 years since my youngest was born,” reads another post.

The group is warning moms to never buy breast milk, especially if they don’t know where it’s from.

“We’re devastated but we know that the good far outweighs the bad and we will keep working to make sure that babies who need it get access to human milk,” read the group’s statement.

Donor breast milk in Canada

When intended for consumption as food, the sale and distribution of donor human milk in Canada is regulated under the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations.

“Health Canada advises Canadians to be aware of the potential health risks associated with consuming human breast milk obtained through the Internet or directly from individuals,” reads a statement from Health Canada. “Obtaining human milk from the Internet or directly from individuals raises health concerns because, in most cases, medical information about the milk donors is not known. The Canadian Paediatric Society does not endorse the sharing of unprocessed human milk.”