Efficacy of flash heat treatment vs holder pasteurization on antimicrobial activity and immunoglobulin: A preservation in donor breast milk

ABSTRACT

@#<p style="text-align justify;"><strong>BACKGROUND:</strong> Human milk is considered the optimal nutritional source for infants. Due to the possibility of microbial contamination during collection and handling, milk is pasteurized to prevent transmission of pathogens. In low-income areas where pasteurization is inaccessible, the pursuit for the best alternative in rendering donor milk safe remains.</p><p style="text-align justify;"><strong>OBJECTIVE:</strong> We aimed to determine and compare the efficacy of flash heat treatment and holder pasteurization in preserving human milk IgA while reducing bacterial contamination of donor breast milk.</p><p style="text-align justify;"><strong>METHODOLOGY:</strong> This is an experimental study which utilized pooled donor breastmilk from healthy mothers later subjected to bacterial analysis and immunoglobulin A level determination prior to and post flash heat treatment and pasteurization. Standardized scores were used to normalize population with unknown parameters. T-test comparison of means and Levene's test for equality of variances were used.</p><p style="text-align justify;"><strong>RESULTS</strong> Twenty samples of aliquoted breastmilk were subjected to pasteurization and flash heat treatment, both yielding a statistically significant reduction in colony-forming units using Blood agar and MacConkey plates. These sample groups also underwent IgA level determination using Bindarid Kit IgATM and there was no significant decline in IgA levels.</p><p style="text-align justify;"><strong>CONCLUSIONS:</strong> Flash heat treatment may be an alternative for holder pasteurization in providing safe and effective breastmilk.</p>