"Cambodia bans human breast milk exports to US", 28 March 2017

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 South-east Asia's poorest countries.

...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 pasteurised and sold for US$20 (S$ 27.90) per 5 oz (147 ml) pack...

Ambrosia Labs has defended its business..., 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...