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Ultraviolet-C Irradiation: A Novel Pasteurization Method for Donor Human Milk.
Lukas Christen1, Ching Tat Lai, Ben Hartmann
1School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia ; Carag AG, Baar, Switzerland.
Ultraviolet-C irradiation effectively reduces bacteria in donor human milk, meeting milk bank standards. This method preserves key bioactive components like bile salt stimulated lipase and alkaline phosphatase, unlike traditional pasteurization.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Microbiology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Holder pasteurization is standard for donor human milk but inactivates beneficial bioactive components.
- Investigating alternative methods is crucial to preserve milk's nutritional and immunological value.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate ultraviolet (UV-C) irradiation as a safer alternative to thermal pasteurization for donor human milk.
- To assess the impact of UV-C irradiation on bacterial reduction and bioactive component preservation.
Main Methods:
- Human milk samples were inoculated with five bacterial species and treated with UV-C irradiation.
- Bacterial load, bile salt stimulated lipase (BSSL) activity, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and fatty acid profile were analyzed.
Main Results:
- UV-C irradiation effectively reduced vegetative bacteria in human milk.
- Higher UV-C dosages were needed for milk with higher total solids content.
- No significant changes in fatty acid profile, BSSL, or ALP activity were observed at effective bacterial reduction dosages.
Conclusions:
- UV-C irradiation is a viable alternative for treating donor human milk, meeting safety guidelines.
- This method inactivates bacteria without compromising essential bioactive components like BSSL and ALP.
- UV-C irradiation preserves the fatty acid profile of human milk.
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