Processing of donor milk

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