An animal rights group has urged a U.S. ice cream maker to follow a Swiss restaurant's lead by using human breast milk instead of cow's milk in making its products.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) made the call in a letter to the owners of Vermont-based Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc. on Tuesday.

"Everyone knows that 'the breast is best,' so Ben & Jerry's could do consumers and cows a big favor by making the switch to breast milk," PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman said in the letter to Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, founders of the ice cream firm.

The PETA official said using mother's milk is good for health and at the same time will spare dairy cows and their babies from suffering.

The suggestion came on news that a restaurant in Switzerland will start buying breast milk from nursing mothers and using it as substitute for cow's milk used the food it serves.