Airport security discarded ALL my frozen expressed milk before our flight

[Nadsthakur]

During security screening, approximately 25 ounces of my frozen expressed breast milk was confiscated and discarded. I was told that because it was frozen, it could not be tested and therefore could not be taken through security.

I explained several times that this milk was for my 8-month-old daughter, who is unable to latch and is exclusively fed expressed breast milk. This was not simply a drink or an inconvenience, it was my daughter's only prepared source of nutrition for our journey. Despite explaining this, I was told there was nothing that could be done, and I had to stand there and watch as the milk was thrown away.

I cannot put into words how upsetting this was. Expressing 25 ounces of breast milk takes an enormous amount of time, dedication and physical effort. It means pumping throughout the day and night, carefully storing every bottle and planning ahead. Every ounce represents hours of work. To have it thrown away in front of me, after explaining exactly how important it was, was absolutely heartbreaking.

What made the situation even worse was the attitude of the officers involved. Throughout the interaction, I felt they showed very little empathy or understanding of how serious this was. I was clearly distressed and repeatedly explained that they were taking away my baby's only food for our journey. Rather than trying to help, showing compassion or explaining whether there were any alternative screening options, my concerns were simply dismissed.

After my daughter's food had been thrown away, I was handed a customer feedback card and sent on my way. It genuinely felt as though nobody cared that an 8-month-old baby had just lost the only food I had prepared for her. The complete lack of compassion shown towards me as a mother was deeply upsetting and made an already distressing situation even worse.

Instead of looking forward to our holiday, I boarded an international flight feeling anxious and devastated, worrying about how I was going to feed my daughter while we were away. No parent should ever be put in that position.

Before travelling, I checked the guidance available to passengers. Ryanair's website clearly states that parents travelling with an infant can bring as much baby milk as needed for the flight, provided it is presented for inspection. I relied on this information when preparing for our journey. At no point was I made aware that frozen expressed breast milk could be refused because it could not be tested, and I was given no alternative option when I reached security.

I do not know the names of the officers involved, but im sure they can be identified through CCTV footage and staff rosters for the security checkpoint.
I want Manchester Airport to provide a full explanation of why my daughter's expressed breast milk was confiscated.
The specific policy or security procedure that required it to be discarded.
An explanation of why no alternative screening method. The time and physical effort it took to express and store it, and the significant distress, anxiety and disruption this caused to both me and my family.im supposed to enjoy my holiday and now im stressed in morroco about how I will feed her. She doesnt latch and only has expressed milk. Besides complaining to the Airport what else can I do so no other family goes through this.

Police officers have jobs beyond enforcing rules, including community cohesion. Airport security is different and actually that goes for airport police too. It's not the local Scout pack, it's a high risk target area and they've got rules that need enforcing without any nonsense.

You (and others) are coming at this as though it's the officials who created the situation and should learn something from this, but it's not.

I'm not going to berate OP for making an easy mistake or being upset but the simple fact is that it was her error, not theirs, and there are more important things at play here than feelings.

You guys do seem to realise now that the milk had to be canned, so you're trying to put the staff in the wrong by complaining they weren't kind and fluffy enough about it, whatever the hell that would mean, and as if they don't actually have a shitload of important life-preserving stuff to do and not much time. It's actually kind of manipulative.

Omg. No mate, I haven't flown from every UK airport but I have flown from all the major ones and I fucking hate Manchester, it is a shit airport. Happy now?

Discrimination??? Dunno just wondered.

Over what?

Discrimination would be the staff deciding the rules don't apply to OP.

Discrimination? please explain

The ops discomfort was short lived she's now on holiday enjoying herself with her 4 children. She's good good now she's on the other side because she ain't wasting a minute on here. She needed somewhere to rant and moan. That's why it's a stupid question and before you ask yes I have 4 children as well and I understand the op.

You’re getting way too invested in this. The security agents aren’t thinking emotionally. They are following rules put in place to safeguard thousands of people. Rules implemented to stop another 9/11 attack. That goes way beyond your baby’s lunch.Head through to Boots - they should be able to sort you out!

Or it would be the courts deciding the rules are discriminatory in and of themselves, which they very well may be. Breastfed babies need breastmilk as food, and that breastmilk must be stored in certain conditions to be safe. It cannot be produced as a solid.

There is every likelihood that these rules make it impossible for some breastfed babies to fly. Being people, breastfed babies have as much right to public transport as other people. Given that many breastfed babies cannot be offered other foods due to allergies, it is possible that these rules discriminate on the basis of disability.

It is possible that the safety issues outweigh the right of those breastfed babies to fly, but it would be very interesting to see it tested in court.

It's pointless because the OP could have flown with breast milk if it wasn't frozen. She didn't read the rules. There is no discrimination against nursing babies, there are just protocols in place to allow them to have their needs met, as well as protect the general public. I'm not a lawyer and I'm all for breast feeding (and don't think just buying formula is necessarily the answer as I wouldn't have been okay with giving my sensitive babies formula) but I really don't think OP would have a case. She wasn't discriminated against for breast feeding. I don't think fighting for the right to carry frozen milk is going to be a thing when there is an alternative.

Breast milk is safe chilled in insulated bags for 24 hours however and I’m not aware of any non stop flights which are longer than that (and frankly you’d be nuts to take a baby on one even if they existed) so this is a false constriction

Discrimination?

just bear in mind even crew (some of whom really do take control of an aircraft) don't get an exemption from the security processes...

No way is @Nadsthakur “enjoying herself on holiday”

This type of person will no doubt failed to read that she’d booked a non sea view room but that won’t stop her from having it out with the receptionist and blaming the hotel for not accommodating her demands.

If course it's not discrimination. Breast milk is allowed, just not frozen.

But hey, why don't you try to bring a claim? It would be 'interesting'.

And frozen breast milk can be carried in checked in baggage

It's not just non stop flights, though, it's also being in transit--and if you travel long haul (e.g. UK to NZ or Aus, US east Coast to the middle east) flights can and do often have you in transit in excess of that time, especially if you have to book last minute. There is also the question of whether it is possible to precisely time the defrosting etc. All of which is a burden on mothers and babies, which if tested in court might be found disproportionate to the risk of terrorism, or which might result in airport security having to develop procedures that worked for frozen breastmilk in a specific timeframe.

Airport security isn't a monolith that can only be one way, it evolves according to changing circumstances, business need and lawsuits--that's why the xray machines don't produce raw "nude" images anymore, and why your bag now gets put through a CT scanner that means you don't have to take your laptop and liquids out.

I really don't know what a court would decide, but to suggest that there is no case to be argued fundamentally misunderstands equality law

@ThatCyanCat calm down.
I'm neither being manipulative nor trying to put the airport staff in the wrong .
None of us were there so we don't know.exactly what happened .
Maybe the staff did show some empathy ,who knows .
You seem, for some reason , unable to consider that how you deal with people can impact the outcome - in this case gaining acceptance and moving the queue along quickly .
Your talk of fluffiness and counselling is , frankly, baffling .

They can fly.

You can take breast milk through in the liquid form, but not frozen. It’s not hard.

Of a court finds that the inconvenience to nursing mothers is disproportionate to the risk of terrorism and changes the rules then there you have a perfect way for terrorists to get dangerous substances on board.

Many posters seem to be forgetting that terrorism is a real and present danger to the entire aircraft and populations on the ground. It’s a horrible thought, but a genuine risk hence rigid rules at baggage control which cannot be bent or broken for any reason.

I still think (as a lawyer 😂) you have no case here.

if you have a layover, that’s the ideal opportunity to express again and replenish your stocks. There isn’t a need to take frozen milk in these circumstances - it’s just a preference on the part of the mother. Most breastfeeding women wouldn’t be able to go 24 hours without expressing anyway as their breasts would be uncomfortably full.

it’s not like saying a wheelchair user can bum shuffle along the aisle which is discriminatory. It’s more akin to saying they can provide a ramp or an elevator for wheelchair users but aren’t required to provide both

Are you missing the fact frozen breast milk can be carried in hold luggage.
Fresh breast milk can be carried in cabin luggage.

What other procedures do you suggest?

The only thing that could make your posts better (and by better, I mean more laughable) is you trying to pretend I'm the one who's being irrational while you complain endlessly that airport security isn't sweet and fluffy enough when someone tries to guilt trip them into taking forbidden substances on board.

The outcome was fine. The forbidden stuff got canned, the plane was kept safe and for all her hyperbole, OP still boarded. The only problem was that she needed someone else to blame for the upset, so she's complaining about them not being Deanna Troi.

You couldn't put them in the wrong with emotional blackmail so now you're trying to do it by claiming I need to "calm down" (God how tedious) while I explain to you why they're right.

I'd lose patience pretty quickly dealing with this nonsense all day from people while I tried to keep planes safe.

The other point is that the percentage of breastfeeding mothers who have babies unable to latch and are exclusively breastfed must be very small. Most breastfeeding mothers would be able to feed the child directly either on the flight or in transit if their bottles were empty.

All of which is a burden on mothers and babies, which if tested in court might be found disproportionate to the risk of terrorism

How so, if they can carry fresh milk required for the trip? Are you a lawyer?

Realistically, if I were advising a UK airport (speaking as a lawyer) my advice to them would be that the risk of an individual mother who had all of: an exclusively breastfed infant, a non stop flight exceeding 24 hours and an infant who could provably only drink from a bottle not direct from the breast (ie this is not maternal embarrassment but a physical incapacity on the part of either mother or baby verified by a doctor) being able to sue under the Equality Act would be remote and easily mitigated by airlines providing a dedicated private breastfeeding/expressing space on the flight for such mothers - this could be the cabin crew’s rest area and out of bounds to cabin crew for periods whilst being used to express

i would balance this against the very large liability if they ignored UK legislation and allowed frozen breast milk on board, or if that legislation were to be repealed against their liability to dependents if the plane went down as a consequence of onboard terrorist attack