Placenta encapsulation has become a mini-industry in the US, with companies offering capsules, gummies, and smoothies made from the organ. Callie Landis, founder of Lancaster Placenta Company in Pennsylvania, dehydrates placentas to create products such as pink glittery gummy bears. Celebrities including Alicia Silverstone, Chrissy Teigen, and members of the Kardashian family have popularised the practice, known as placentophagy.
Proponents claim that eating the placenta aids breast milk production, reduces postpartum depression, and helps with postnatal healing. However, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states there is no scientific evidence of clinical benefit. A 2017 study found that placental nutrients and hormones are not retained in sufficient amounts after encapsulation to be helpful.
The industry has faced safety concerns. In 2017, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned against the practice after an Oregon baby was diagnosed with a strep infection; his mother had consumed dried placenta capsules, though the capsules could not be definitively blamed. Companies like Mommy Made Encapsulation, which has processed 300,000 placentas, stress that they follow safe food handling standards.
Despite the lack of regulation from the US Food and Drug Administration, the trend continues to grow, driven by anecdotal evidence. Juliane Corona, founder of Mommy Made Encapsulation, says she tells women: 'If it helps you have less sad days, that’s a good thing.'
