Short-time low-temperature pasteurisation of human milk

Abstract

Using the Oxford Human Milk Pasteuriser human milk was exposed to lower temperature and shorter time periods than employed in classical holder pasteurisation. Heating human milk at 62.5 degrees C for 5 min completely destroyed Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and group B beta-haemolytic streptococci inoculated into the samples. Heating at 56.0 degrees C for 15 min destroyed over 99% of the inoculated organisms. The mean percentage remaining activity of certain antimicrobial proteins after heat treatment at 62.5 degrees C for 30 min, 62.5 degrees C for 5 min and 56 degrees C for 15 min were as follows: IgA 67, and 90%; lactoferrin 27, 59 and 91%; and lysozyme 67, 96 and 106%, respectively. These results suggest that human milk can be effectively pasteurised using less heat treatment than in classical holder pasteurisation. Lower temperature and shorter heat treatment also preserves substantially more of the activity of the antimicrobial proteins present in human milk.