Method for Removing Thawed Human Milk From a Plastic Storage Bag Impacts Fat Retention

Area of Science:

• Human milk research
• Lactation science
• Food science and technology

Background:

• Human milk (HM) is crucial for infant nutrition, but fat loss can occur during storage and thawing.
• Optimal methods for decanting frozen HM are needed to maximize nutrient content.
• Bacterial contamination is a concern during HM handling and preparation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how thawing stage and bag manipulation affect fat retention in human milk.
• To determine the impact of decanting methods on aerobic bacteria colony-forming units in human milk.
• To optimize protocols for preserving the nutritional quality of frozen human milk.

Main Methods:

• Human milk samples from 40 lactating women were collected, frozen for 2 months, and then thawed.
• Two thaw stages (ice and liquid) and bag manipulation (folding/squeezing) were evaluated.
• Fat content was measured via ether extraction, and bacterial counts used plate enumeration.

Main Results:

• Thawing to liquid or ice did not significantly affect overall fat retention.
• Bag manipulation during decanting significantly increased fat retention when HM was thawed to liquid (P=0.005).
• Bag manipulation did not increase aerobic bacteria counts at either thaw stage (P=0.49).

Conclusions:

• The method of decanting previously frozen human milk impacts fat retention.
• Folding and squeezing the storage bag during decanting of liquid-thawed HM enhances fat recovery.
• This manipulation technique increases fat recovery without compromising bacterial safety.