A legal threat from Lady Gaga and an investigation by heath inspectors have failed to halt the sale of an ice cream made from breast milk -- the bizarre concoction has been deemed fit for human consumption. The pop superstar's lawyers have taken aim at the owners of the Icecreamists store in London's trendy Covent Garden over the product, named Baby Gaga.
「女神卡卡」威脅採取法律行動，加上衛生安全核查人員的調查，均未能阻止母乳製的冰淇淋大賣，這種奇特調製的冰品已被認為適合人類食用。這位流行樂巨星的律師則已對倫敦引領時尚的科芬園Icecreamists冰淇淋店這項名為「貝比卡卡」的冰淇淋採取行動。
Gaga's attorneys called the ice cream “nausea-inducing” and alleged the name takes advantage of the singer's “reputation and good will.” They also demanded company bosses change the title to prevent the star being associated with a product which “may be unsafe for human consumption.”
女神卡卡的律師稱這種冰淇淋「令人作嘔」，並聲稱這個名字擅自盜用歌后的「名氣和善意」，他們還要求公司老闆更名，以免這位搞怪天后跟一個「人類食用可能有安全之虞」的食品聯想在一起。
The new ice cream had been presented to the public since February, yet after receiving complaints from two members of the British public, Westminster Council decided to withdraw Baby Gaga to make sure it was fit for human consumption. Worried Conservative Party councilor Brian Connell said that: “Selling foodstuffs made from another person's body fluids can lead to viruses being passed on and, in this case, potentially hepatitis, the AIDS virus and syphilis. As the local authority we will support small businesses and applaud innovative ideas wherever possible, but must protect the health of consumers.”
這款新冰淇淋自2月以來對外公開販賣，但在接獲英國兩位民眾投訴後，西敏寺市議會決定要求「貝比卡卡」下架，以確定它適合人類食用。憂心忡忡的保守黨議員康奈爾表示：「利用另一個人的體液製成食品出售，可能導致病毒傳播，在這種情況下，可能傳染肝炎、愛滋病毒和梅毒。身為地方權責主管單位，我們支持小企業，並盡可能力挺創新概念，但仍必須保護消費者健康。」
Potential milk donors to human milk banks are screened for these diseases, just like blood donors, although the risk of contracting infections from drinking human milk is lower thanks to factors in saliva. The World Health Organization lists donated human milk as a better option than manufactured formula for all babies, with breastfeeding from the baby's mother the best and bottle-feeding of the mother's own milk the second choice. Manufactured infant formula is an environmental hazard, because of the increased water, fuel, and waste involved in its production, transportation, preparation and disposal. Officials from Westminster Council confiscated the Baby Gaga ice cream for a number of quality control tests, but they have now given Icecreamists the go-ahead to sell the flavor after deeming it perfectly safe.
一如捐血者，有意捐奶給人乳銀行者得先篩檢這些疾病，雖然喝人奶感染傳染病的風險因唾液因素較低。世界衛生組織甚至列出捐人奶比為寶寶調製的奶粉更好，寶寶生母用母乳哺育嬰兒是最好的，用奶瓶餵母奶則是次優選擇。調製嬰兒奶粉會危害環境安全，因為生產配銷準備和處理的過程，會增加水、燃料和廢物的產生。西敏寺市議會官員查扣「貝比卡卡」冰淇淋，進行多項品管檢查，但在斷定它安全無虞後，他們現已同意Icecreamists出售這種口味的冰淇淋。
The manufacturers have said they use the same screening procedures as blood donation centers or milk banks in London. Icecreamists owner Matt O'Connor adds, “Breast milk is not dangerous and Westminster Council confiscated our product in the full knowledge that we had done all the proper tests. We are considering taking legal action because this has damaged our reputation. They should have waited until they got the tests back before saying our product could have been a risk to the public.” In his opinion, “No-one has done anything interesting with ice cream in the last hundred years.”
業者表示，他們的篩選程序和倫敦捐血中心或牛奶銀行如出一轍。Icecreamists老闆歐康納補充道：「母乳是沒有危險的，西敏寺市議會在充分認知我們已做過適當檢測後仍沒收我們的產品。我們正考慮採取法律行動，因為這有損商譽。他們應該等檢驗結果出來後再對外說，我們的產品可能危及民眾安全。」在他看來，「過去數百年來，沒有人在冰淇淋上做過什麼有趣的變化。」
The ice cream has proved a big hit, with the first batch sold out within days of going on sale. It is made with milk expressed by 15 women who replied to an advertisement posted on an online mothers' forum. Each serving costs $22.50 and is brought out by waitresses wearing flamboyant costumes, something Lady Gaga is well-known for.
冰淇淋已證明狂熱大賣，第一批冰品上市幾天內銷售一空。15名婦女回應線上母親論壇所貼的廣告後自願擠母乳。冰淇淋每份22.5美元，並由身穿絢麗奪目制服的女服務生端上桌，這是「女神卡卡」最廣為人知的行頭。
One of the milk donors, Victoria Hiley, 35, said that if adults realized how tasty breast milk was then more new mothers would feel happier about breastfeeding. She expressed the milk at the cafe and it was pasteurized before lemon zest and Madagascan vanilla pods were added during the churning process. Calling it a “recession beater”, Hiley is paid $23 for every 10 ounces of milk she donates to the company. She said: “What's the harm in using my assets for a bit of extra cash? There's nothing more natural than fresh mother's milk”. Victoria works with women who have problems breast feeding their babies.
母乳捐贈者之一、35歲的維多利亞．希利說，如果成年人知道母乳有多可口，就會有更多新手媽媽更樂於親自哺育母乳。她在咖啡廳擠奶，並先殺菌，再在攪拌過程中加入檸檬皮和馬達加斯加香草豆莢。希利稱之為「經濟衰退剋星」，因為她所捐贈給公司的母奶每10盎司可拿23美元。她說：「利用我的資產多賺點錢有什麼不對？沒有什麼比新鮮母乳更天然的食品。」維多利亞也和無法親自哺育寶寶的媽媽合作。
A spokeswoman for Icecreamists said that despite the success of Baby Gaga there were currently no plans to market the breast milk ice cream more widely. “As far as we are aware there is no law prohibiting a business from selling breast milk ice cream,” said O'Connor. He is confident his new ice cream will go down well with customers. There are many companies that are already looking into ways on how to sell breast milk products legally. It is illegal to sell breastmilk online, privately and through retail networks in the United States.
Icecreamists女發言人說，儘管貝比卡卡冰淇淋試賣成功，目前還沒計畫大幅向市場推廣母乳冰淇淋。歐康納說：「據我們所知，沒有任何法律禁止業者出售母乳冰淇淋。」他相信，這款新冰淇淋會深受客人歡迎。有很多公司已在研究如何合法販賣母乳產品。在美國，上網或私下透過零售商出售母乳都是違法的。
Picture taken on March 19, 2011 shows breast milk ice cream named 'Baby Gaga' at the Icecreamists cafe in central London.
在這張攝於今年3月19日的照片中，可見倫敦市中心Icecreamists咖啡館裡所賣的「貝比卡卡」母乳冰淇淋。（法新社）