Monitoring the quality of human milk distributed by a reference milk bank

Abstract

Human milk is the best nourishment for newborns and babies, and when, for any reason, there is no possibility to get milk from their own mother or by direct breast suction, the human milk-bank is an innocuous alternative. Thereby, after being milked, the processed sample is distributed by human-milk banks, and the product should be harmless and high quality. The present study aims at monitoring the quality of the human milk available at a reference human-milk bank. Twenty human-milk samples were analyzed on microbiological and physical-chemical parameters; and the hygienic-sanitary conditions of the milk bank were assessed by monitoring the quality of environmental air, product storage containers and the hands of milk handlers. The pasteurization reduced the deteriorating contaminants, although neither aerobic mesophilic bacteria nor coliforms were eliminated. The coagulase-positive Staphylococcus was not isolated. Under physical agent treatments, the milk samples showed a change on centesimal composition. Thus, significant losses of the total energy values were detected in 23.28% of frozen milk samples, and in 23.86% of pasteurized ones, deriving from lipid contents inactivation. The monitoring of variables and the suitable preservation processes have improved the microbiology quality of milk samples, nonetheless, pasteurization and freezing procedures negatively interfered in the physical-chemical composition and nutritional value.