Donor human milk: the influence of processing technologies on its nutritional and microbial composition

Area of Science:

• Neonatal nutrition
• Food science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Human milk is essential for infant growth and immune protection.
• Donor human milk is a critical alternative when maternal milk is unavailable.
• Current Holder Pasteurization methods degrade milk's bioactive components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the effects of Holder Pasteurization and alternative processing techniques on donor human milk.
• To assess the microbial inactivation capabilities of various processing methods.
• To identify gaps in knowledge regarding human milk processing.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing scientific literature on donor human milk processing.
• Analysis of thermal and non-thermal processing techniques.
• Comparison of methods based on nutritional and bioactive property preservation and microbial safety.

Main Results:

• Holder Pasteurization reduces the immunoprotective value of donor milk.
• Various alternative methods (HTST, HPP, microwave, UV-C, etc.) show potential but have varying impacts.
• Lack of standardized protocols leads to conflicting research findings.

Conclusions:

• Donor human milk is a vital resource, but processing methods need optimization.
• Further research is required to standardize processing for maximal nutritional and immunological benefit.
• Addressing data disparities is crucial for vulnerable preterm infants.