Processing of donor milk

Why Donate Your Breat Milk? Infographic of the benefits of donor milk in saving hospitalized babies lives
Why Donate Your Breat Milk? Infographic of the benefits of donor milk in saving hospitalized babies lives

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Text-only version of this infographic

The Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank, Mount Sinai Hospital, Joseph & Wolf Lebovic Health Complex

Milkbank Pasteurization Process

  • Donor is screened via telephone by Milk Bank Registered Nurse/Lactation Consultant
  • Once approved, milk is expressed and put into containers appropriate for donation
  • Milk is frozen and stored at home no warmer than -18°C
    • Unable to be used at Milk Bank if:

      > 3 months (fridge-freezer)

      > 6 months (chest/separate freezer)

  • Frozen human milk placed in insulated boxes provided by Milk Bank and shipped with courier

  • Milk arrives at Milk Bank and frozen at -20°C

  • Bacterial pre-culture is done

  • Selected combination of 3-5 donor deposits are thawed overnight and pooled in 5L glass beakers

  • Pooled milk is dispensed into plastic bottles and sealed for pasteurization

  • Sterifeed Pasteurizer

    • Bottles are submerged into pasteurizer heated to 62.5°C and held for 30 minutes

    • Bottles are rapidly cooled to 4°C

  • Bottles are labelled with Batch ID and placed in -20°C ‘Hold’ Freezer

  • Medical director approval of batch if no bacterial growth

    • Temperature Data Log (Holding time at temperature confirmation)

    • Unable to dispense if: 

      1. Bacterial culture fails
      2. Any Bacillus bacteria cultured
      3. Temperature graph < 62.5°C for 30 minutes.
  • The pasteurized milk is placed in long-term storage (-20°C) – ready to dispense via hospital purchase order

    • Expiry date 6 months post pasteurization date

  • Courier distribution to Hospitals