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Research Project: Improvement and Maintenance of Flavor, Shelf Life, Functional Characteristics, and Biochemical/Bioactive Components in Peanuts, Peanut Products and Related Commodities through Improved Handling, ...

Location: Food Science and Market Quality and Handling Research Unit

Title: Nutritional comparison of raw, holder pasteurized and shelf-stable human milk products

Author
item LIMA, HOPE - North Carolina State University
item VOGEL, KENNETH - North Carolina State University
item WAGNER-GILLESPIE, MONTANA - North Carolina State University
item HUBBLE, COURTNEY - North Carolina State University
item Dean, Lisa
item FOGELMAN, APRIL - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/25/2018
Publication Date: 11/1/2018
Citation: Lima, H.K., Vogel, K., Wagner-Gillespie, M., Hubble, C., Dean, L.L., Fogelman, A.D. 2018. Nutritional comparison of raw, holder pasteurized and shelf-stable human milk products. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 66(5):649-653. https://doi.org/10.1097/MPG.0000000000002094.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/MPG.0000000000002094

Interpretive Summary: Holder pasteurization is a method for preserving human milk by using a heat treatment. There is no information readily available as to how that treatment affects the nutritional quality of the milk. Pasteurization is needed to insure that infants who can not be breast fed by their own mothers can be supplied with milk from donor mothers that is safe from microbes. This study compared treated milk with raw human milk and found that the nutrients, protein, lactose, thiamine (Vitamin B1) and the amino acid lysine were not significantly reduced by the Holder pasteurization.

Technical Abstract: Background: Historically, donor human milk available in a hospital setting has been pasteurized using Holder pasteurization. Recently, a shelf-stable human milk product, created using retort processing, has become available; however, little is published about the effect of retort processing on human milk. Objective: We aim to assess the nutritional composition of retort processed human milk and compare the nutritional profile to Holder pasteurized and raw human milk from the same pool of milk donors. Study Design: Milk samples from 60 mothers were pooled. From this pool, 36 samples were taken; 12 samples were kept raw, 12 samples were Holder pasteurized (HP), and 12 samples were retort processed to create a shelf stable product (SS). Samples were analyzed for percent fat, percent solids, total protein, lactose, amino acid composition, and total thiamine. Results: Percent fat, percent solids, and lactose were similar between raw, HP, and SS samples. Total protein was statistically increased in SS samples when compared to raw (p = 0.005) and HP (p < 0.001) samples, but protein differences were not clinically relevant (raw = 15.1, HP = 14.8 and SS = 15.8 mg/mL). Lysine was the only amino acid impacted by processing, and its destruction increased as heat increased (raw = 0.85 mg/100 mL, HP = 0.77 mg/100 mL, SS = 0.68 mg/100 mL). Total thiamine was significantly decreased in SS samples (0.14 mg/L; p < 0.01) when compared to raw samples (0.24 mg/L) and HP samples (0.26 mg/L). Conclusion: Macronutrient content is relatively unaffected by either Holder pasteurization or retort processing. Both methods maintain similar fat, lactose, and total protein levels. Lysine was significantly decreased by retort processing, but not Holder pasteurization. Thiamine content was significantly decreased by retort processing, but not Holder pasteurization.