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Individualized Reconstitution of Human Milk Microbiota: A Feasible Approach in Real-World Settings
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Heating-induced bacteriological and biochemical modifications in human donor milk after holder pasteurisation
Aránzazu Gómez de Segura1, Diana Escuder, Antonia Montilla
1Departamento de Nutrición, Bromatología y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.
Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
|September 17, 2011
Summary
Holder pasteurisation effectively eliminated most bacteria in donor milk, with only a few Bacillus cereus surviving. This heat treatment did not significantly alter nutritional compounds like furosine or lactulose.
Area of Science:
- Food microbiology
- Human milk processing
- Nutritional science
Background:
- Human milk is a vital source of nutrition for infants.
- Bacterial contamination of human milk can pose health risks.
- Holder pasteurisation is a common method for milk safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of holder pasteurisation on bacterial populations in donor human milk.
- To evaluate the pathogenic potential of surviving bacteria.
- To determine the nutritional changes in human milk following pasteurisation.
Main Methods:
- Human milk samples from 21 donors were subjected to holder pasteurisation (62.5°C for 30 minutes).
- Bacterial counts, lactose, glucose, myoinositol, lactulose, and furosine levels were measured pre- and post-treatment.
- Surviving Bacillus cereus isolates were tested for toxigenic potential.
Main Results:
- Pasteurisation eliminated most bacteria, with only Bacillus cereus surviving in a few samples.
- No significant nutritional damage was observed; furosine was undetectable, and changes in lactose, glucose, and myoinositol were minimal.
- Lactulose was detected at low levels post-pasteurisation, while myoinositol content varied with lactation stage.
Conclusions:
- Holder pasteurisation is effective in reducing bacterial load in donor human milk.
- Surviving Bacillus cereus strains showed low virulence potential.
- The nutritional quality of human milk was largely preserved after holder pasteurisation.
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