Generally, no, humans do not drink pig milk.
While technically possible to milk a pig, several factors make it impractical and commercially unviable. Here's a breakdown:
- Low Yield: Pigs produce relatively small amounts of milk compared to cows or goats.
- Difficult to Milk: Pigs are not naturally cooperative for milking. Their teats are small and difficult to access, and they are not easily trained to stand still.
- Unpleasant Taste: Some reports suggest pig milk has a gamey or unpleasant taste, although this can vary depending on the pig's breed and diet.
- Economic Inviability: The combination of low yield, difficulty in extraction, and potentially unfavorable taste makes pig milk an impractical product for commercial production. It would be far more expensive to produce than cow's milk or other more easily obtainable milk sources.
- Composition: While pig milk is similar to cow's milk in some ways (containing fat, protein, and lactose), it typically has a higher fat content and can be more watery in consistency. This doesn't inherently make it unsafe to drink, but it does contribute to its less desirable qualities for human consumption.
- Hygienic Concerns: Maintaining proper hygiene during milking can be challenging with pigs, increasing the risk of contamination.
Therefore, although the possibility of drinking pig milk exists, the practical and economic realities make it a rare and uncommon occurrence. It's primarily intended for piglets, and there's little to no market for it as a human food source.
