The milk will be supplied to five breast banks in neonatal wards across Australia. NeoLacta Lifesciences was granted permission to start selling breast milk to Australians, last year. The milk…

The milk will be supplied to five breast banks in neonatal wards across Australia.

NeoLacta Lifesciences was granted permission to start selling breast milk to Australians, last year. The milk will be given to the five breast milk banks in Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland for feeding premature babies.

At present mothers who are lactating and are in excess supply are able to donate their milk to neonatal wards but as demand grows there isn’t always an abundance in storage, the guardian reported.

But experts warn that diseases and STD’s like HIV, hepatitis, syphilis and the Zika virus could all be present in breast milk, but there is only a small chance of transmission.

Neonatologist Dr Gillian Opie from Melbourne’s Mercy Hospital said there were other risks to do with illicit substances that could tarnish the health benefits of breast milk.

“There has been testing done in the US to show that breast milk can be contaminated with drugs like caffeine and alcohol,” she said.

“It may be watered down, so not as nutritious as it should be.”

The Department of Agriculture, who granted NeoLacta’s import permit, said it had tough biosecurity measures to ensure food products did not pose a risk to humans.

While breast milk is currently screened, if companies begin to commercialize the milk supply for mother’s struggling to breastfeed there may need to be further rules imposed.