Naomi,
You wrote, "Where do researchers and formula companies get
samples of breastmilk to do their research and/or
manufacturing of the new formulas they claim are
just like breastmilk?"

My only knowledge of where they get samples of human milk is through reading
the various patents.  Researchers get human milk from the institutions in
which they work--universities or hospitals.  Two patents have specifically
mentioned that they received their samples from the Worcester Milk Bank--which I
believe is no longer a milk bank.  Several patents mention the Lactation Lab at
Baylor College of Medicine. Some patents never explain where they got their
human milk.  If researchers are just looking at human lactoferrin often the
company Sigma is mentioned.  One memorable patent stated that they got their milk
because it was about to be thrown out because it was past date of use.  Where
they got it--I don't know.

I think it is pretty obvious when you have this amount of patenting, that
there needs to be some sort of regulations.  Human banks cannot control what
researchers do with the milk or whether they patent.  Does human milk get thrown
out?  I remember being very troubled when reading a research paper on hiv and
breastfeeding where the researcher states that the fat portion of the milk was
thrown out.  HMFG (human milk fat globule) has been patented for a variety of
reasons.  John Hopkins owns some of the patents on HMFG.  Surprise,
surprise...this research paper I read was sending their milk samples to John Hopkins.
(research was done in Africa) Should I assume that only the skimmed milk was
sent?  I don't know, that's a little hard for me to believe.

How would you like to know that it was your particular milk that some
researcher used to patent his invention?  He and his company make a fortune and you
thought you were donating it to some poor baby.  I don't think I'd feel too
happy about it and I might wonder about getting a financial cut.  Do they owe the
donors some sort of monetary reward?  What is the legal ramifications for
milk banks, if the milk they give to research is used in patenting?  Shouldn't
they get a cut in the profits?  It gets very sticky.  Most patenting of human
milk components is about genetically engineering the component, often about the
method of doing this.  But there are a few notable exceptions--with some
patents claiming the use of the real thing.  What does that mean?  It is the
research on human milk that it is creating this gold mine for biotechnologists and
their companies.  Yet, all the public ever hears is the horror tales of
breastfeeding--toxins and pathogens.  Read a patent by the infant formula industry on
a human milk component, and learn about the wonders of human lactoferrin or
HMFG. It can inactivate hiv, it cures diarhhea, cures asthma. and makes a great
all-round antibiotic  Maybe the infant formula industry ought to tell the CDC
about their research and patenting.  We might see some policy changes........
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC


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