Cambodian breast milk exports to US banned
CAMBODIA officially banned selling and exporting locally-pumped human breast milk after reports exposed how women were turning to the controversial trade to boost meagre incomes in one of Southeast Asia’s poorest countries.
The order comes after Cambodia temporarily halted breast milk exports by Utah-based Ambrosia Labs, which claims to be the first firm to source the product from overseas and distribute it in the United States.
The milk was pumped by poor Cambodian women in the capital Phnom Penh and then shipped to the US, where it was pasteurized and sold for US$20 per 147ml pack.
The company’s customers are American mothers who want to supplement their babies’ diets or cannot produce enough milk of their own.
Cambodia’s cabinet yesterday ordered the health ministry to “take actions to immediately prevent the purchasing and exporting of breast milk from mothers from Cambodia.”
“Although Cambodia is poor and (life is) difficult, it is not at the level that it will sell breast milk from mothers,” it added.
Ambrosia Labs has defended its business in previous interviews, saying the model encouraged Cambodian women to continue breast feeding, earned them much needed extra income and helped fill milk bank shortages in the US.
But UNICEF welcomed the ban, saying the trade was exploitative and that excess breast milk should remain in Cambodia, where many babies lack proper nutrition.
Chea Sam, a 30-year-old mother, said she earned US$7.5-US$10 a day and she knew at least 20 other mothers doing the same.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔$粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.