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Original poster

Am I the only one distressed by the thought of drinking our DS formula milk at airport ?

99 replies

Rookiemum · 14/08/2006 19:48

Now I know the reasons for it and understand them but ugh ugh ugh.

DH and I are returning back on Thursday and he has tried a swig, I had a tiny dot and its not pleasant. Can't DS just drink the stuff that would show that its not something dangerous ?

OP posts:
kiskidee · 15/08/2006 09:55

and watch them scramble around to find one as the thought of having plastic cups around for this purpose will not have crossed the minds of customs and excise.

and the faces of those waiting in the queue behind you.

SueW · 15/08/2006 09:55

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

katzg · 15/08/2006 10:02

we travelled back last friday and had to do the milk drinking test, its was full fat channel island milk which is like drinking cream and would have made me heave! DH tasted it for us, they were being very strict, we couldn't have our nappy changing mat because it wasn't on the list of allowed items. and they confiscated my chewing gum!

i don't think you'd be allowed the powder and water, we weren't allowed water for our year old, thankfully they were selling it the other side.

DominiConnor · 15/08/2006 10:12

I'm told however, that you are allowed to buy duty free, and take that on board.
Hands up any chemists aroubd here who don't know how to make some really bad things with what you can buy in duty free ? Especially given the length of some flights ?

Actually, this is an old problem, from decades ago.
If you were caught taking large quantities of any other highly flammable liquid on a plane, at the very least they'd take it off you. It's bad stuff, even without hostile effect.
But because the airlines have such effective lobbying power, together with the airports (of course MPs get to VIP lounges), duty free alcohol has never been banned like anything else that dangerous.

UrsulatheSeawitch · 15/08/2006 10:53

On flights to the US (only the US) they have an extra security point at boarding and will remove any liquids bought airside.

So the terrorists can safely look at blowing up flights to everywhere else presumably. Nice one.

I'm stunned at this reaction to the taste of babymilk - it's not like ordinary cows milk and is v sweet, but not that bad???

hellywobs · 15/08/2006 13:17

formula tastes yukky.....byt not to babies - they seem to like it...

oh well, yet another reason to breastfeed.

Only way round it is to take water (which you can taste and keep sterile by pouring a bit into a lid or tiny cup) and powder formula...or if they are older, normal milk.

I suspect the ready made stuff in cartons will be allowed now (if you can buy it airside) except for US flights.

And I am not sure about the new advice...I made up all my ds's bottles in advance each day so I might have 4 bottles made up in the fridge. He never ever ever had a tummy bug. I did sterilise bottles until he was 2 (but we don't have a dishwasher).

I would not relish a 7-11 hour flight without my 2 litre bottle of water...and having to ask air crew for water all the time.

UrsulatheSeawitch · 15/08/2006 13:22

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iota · 15/08/2006 13:30

my 2 had Farleys formula (after 6 mths b/f) and it tasted truly disgusting. made me want to vom

I do believe that other formula might taste better, but didn't realise it at the time

julienetmum · 15/08/2006 14:10

This advice was published before the slight let up in restrictionos but the infant foods and dietics people (formula companies representatives organisation) were advising people to carry the powder and water separately as once you taste made up milk it has to be used within the hour.

They advised against taking ready made tetra pack cartons.

julienetmum · 15/08/2006 14:13

And I can totally understand rookiemums fears. I didn't have a problem with either formula or breastmilk but I can relate it ot my fear of cheese.

If it came to me having to tast a jar of babyfood containing cheese, or letting my child go hungry then they would go hungry as I could not physically bring myself to even take the slightest taste.

pinkmagic1 · 15/08/2006 14:35

If I had to swig baby milk I think I would be sick all over the customs official and then they would definitely suspect something!

sweetkitty · 16/08/2006 09:44

Wouldn't bother me TBH, I taste my EBM all the time to make sure it's ok for DD2. I taste all her food as well to make sure temperatures ok as well, one of the reasons she never has jars. EBM just tastes like milk with 10 teaspoons of sugar in it. I don't like the taste of cows milk particularly either.

kittylette · 16/08/2006 11:33

i like my sons formula, aptamil2, yum

wannaBe1974 · 16/08/2006 16:17

I find it finominal that some people seem to think that it's such an inconvenience to have to taste a little bit of formula. Surely given the choice between having to taste the formula and someone blowing up a plane mid air, then tasting the formula is a small price to pay.

DominiConnor · 16/08/2006 17:34

My understanding is that a "member of the party" has to taste the milk. If so, why can't you give it to the baby in front of the security people ?

Original poster
Rookiemum · 16/08/2006 20:50

DominiConnor, I don't think you are allowed to give it to the baby in case you are mad baby killing terrorist.

Julietnetmum, are you allowed to bring the powder and water separately now as I thought you weren't ? If so its a bit of an improvement.
We are flying tomorrow so will report how we get on.

When I started this I wasn't suggesting for one minute that our national security is not important and than tasting the stuff is anything other than a mild but unpleasant inconvenience, but I did want to know if I was the only one who found it a bit yukky. I'm also one of these weird picky types and if they put margarine on my lunch roll that makes me pretty ill. Actually I think I'd rather have the baby milk than margarine.

OP posts:
TooTicky · 16/08/2006 20:54

If you don't like it, why do you expect your children to drink it?

goldendelicious · 16/08/2006 20:55

Totally agree with you wannaBe. Imagine the consequences if airports weren't taking these extra precautions and a plane ended up exploding because of it....

Well worth the 'inconvenience' of having to taste a bit of baby milk in my opinion. I can't begin to understand people who moan about stuff as critical as this

Joolstoo · 16/08/2006 20:56

I'd do it happily if it ensures the safety of everyone.

all formula does not taste disgusting at all.

SMA - yuk
Cow and Gate - mmmmmmmmmmm!

TinyGang · 16/08/2006 20:58

Oh yuk! I can clearly remember the smell of the one we used. It was horrible.

hairymclary · 16/08/2006 20:59

my immediate response to this is that if you give it to your child then you should be willing to eat/drink it yourself.

sorry if it's already been said, i haven't read the whole thread.

Blondilocks · 16/08/2006 21:00

I hate the taste of normal milk so would not want to try drinking formula! Although if it was the choice between that and not flying I'd do it.

Tooticky, does this mean that my LO shouldn't have milk at all as I don't like it? Or bananas. I'm sure the list could go on forever! I also wouldn't want to try breastmilk myself so maybe I should find something else to feed my future babies on that isn't milk!

hairymclary · 16/08/2006 21:01

a friend of mine just returned from italy. She took powder and requested water on the plane. She was allowed about 4oz of milk (if that) as they had to "ration" it.
So don't do that unless you have checked with them first.

hairymclary · 16/08/2006 21:03

The whole thing IMO is pretty stupid though.

if you were about to bring a plane down you wouldn't really care about drinking a tiny bit of poison milk would you?
Or else you would have a false bottom on the bottle.
Or you would just pretend to drink it, which wouldn't be difficult.

I honestly fail to see how this is a valid security measure at all

TooTicky · 16/08/2006 21:07

Blondilocks, I think it is because formula milk is not a natural food that I find it odd that people give it to their babies when they don't like the idea of it themselves. I realise that there are people that do not have the option of bf and I am not undermining them in any way.
There is nothing yucky about breastmilk though!
Dairy milk I would avoid - there are too many health risks associated with it.
As for bananas, children should be encouraged to eat all fruit and veg - and if I can bring my children up to happily eat jerusalem artichokes then that's cool!