Sterilization efficacy of a new water‐free breast milk pasteurizer

Abstract

BackgroundBreast milk, nature's optimum source of nutrition for infants, can contain undesirable microorganisms that cause severe morbidity. After an outbreak of multidrug‐resistant Escherichia coli among neonates receiving breast milk donated by another mother in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), we were motivated to develop a high‐grade breast milk pasteurizer (BMP) designed to thaw and pasteurize breast milk at 63°C for 30 min in a sealed bag without having to open the bag or immerse it in water.MethodsPre‐existing bacteria and spiked cytomegalovirus (CMV) were measured pre‐ and post‐pasteurization in frozen breast milk donated by mothers of children admitted to the NICU.ResultsAmong 48 breast milk samples (mean ± standard deviation [SD]), pre‐existing bacterial counts of 5.1±1.1 × 104 colony forming units (cfu)/mL decreased to less than 10 cfu/mL (below detection level) in 45 samples after pasteurization for 30 min. In three samples, 10–110 cfu/mL persisted. As no CMV was detected in any of the 48 samples, CMV at ≥5 × 104 pfu/mL was spiked into 11 breast milk samples. After just 10 min of pasteurization, infectious CMV was not detected (threshold <50 pfu/mL) in any sample.ConclusionA new BMP was shown to pasteurize milk effectively with more than a 3‐log reduction of microorganisms. Compared to conventional pasteurizers, this device reduces the effort involved in pasteurizing breast milk, avoids various contamination risks, and may reduce the risk of infectious disease transmission via breast milk.

Growth of Escherichia coli in Human Milk and Powdered Infant Formula under Various Treatments and Feeding Conditions in Neonatal Units

“…The holding time of milk at room temperatures is key, because if it exceeds the duration of the lag phase of a microorganism, it can lead to undesirable microbial growth. Among the different microorganisms that can contaminate milk, Escherichia coli is one of the most common pathogens that causes neonatal infections [15,16], and is a cause of outbreaks due to the consumption of unpasteurized human milk in NICUs [17,18]. The growth of E. coli in HM and PIF and its handling practices have implications for neonatal health and the management of neonatal units.…”