High-temperature short-time (HTST) pasteurization (72-75 °C, 15 s) is an alternative treatment to traditional Holder pasteurization (HoP) (62ºC, 30 min) for donor milk. HTST pasteurization guarantees ...the milk's microbiological safety and retains more of its biologically and nutritionally active compounds, but the cost of implementing this technology for a human milk bank is unknown.
A cost-minimization study was carried out on the facilities of a regional human milk bank in a public hospital. Total production costs (fixed plus variables) were quantified using HTST pasteurization and HoP in three hypothetical scenarios: (1) costs of the first 10 L of pasteurized milk in a newly opened milk bank; (2) costs of the first 10 L of pasteurized milk in an active milk bank; and (3) costs using the maximum production capacity of both technologies in the first two years of operation. The following costs were analyzed: health care professionals, equipment and software, external services, and consumables.
In scenario 1, the total production costs were € 228,097.00 for the HTST method versus € 154,064.00 for the HoP method. In scenario 2, these costs were similar (€ 6,594.00 for HTST pasteurization versus € 5,912.00 for HoP). The cost of healthcare professionals was reduced by more than half when pasteurization was carried out by the HTST method versus the Holder method (€ 84.00 and € 191.00, respectively). In scenario 3, the unit cost of milk pasteurized by the HTST method decreased from the first to the second year by 43.5%, while for the HoP method, it decreased by 30%.
HTST pasteurization requires a high initial investment in equipment; however, it provides a significant minimization of production costs in the long term, pasteurizes large quantities of donor milk per working day and achieves a more efficient management of the time of the health care professionals in charge of the bank's operation compared to HoP.
Background About 70% of children with milk allergy tolerate extensively heated milk (HM) products and outgrow their allergy earlier than those who react to HM. Objective To test the hypothesis that ...HM-tolerant children have a higher precursor frequency of adaptive allergen-specific regulatory T (Treg) cells. Methods Allergic, HM-tolerant, outgrown, or control subjects were defined by oral food challenge. PBMCs were cultured with purified caseins and controls for 7 days, and proliferating CD25+ CD27+ Treg cells were identified by flow cytometry. Proliferating cells were also characterized for their expression of FoxP3, CTLA 4, CD45RO, and CD127. Allergen-specific Treg cell origin and function were assessed by depletion of CD25hi cells before culture. Results There was a higher percentage (median 25th% to 75th%, 16.85% 7.1-31.7) of proliferating allergen-specific CD25+ CD27+ T cells from cultures of HM-tolerant subjects (n = 18) than subjects with allergy (n = 8; 4.91% 2.6-7.5; P < .01). Control subjects with no history of milk allergy (n = 7) also had low percentages of these cells (2.9% 2.4-6.0), whereas outgrown subjects (n = 7) had intermediate percentages (9.0% 2.7-16.4). There were no significant differences between the patient groups in the frequency of polyclonal Treg cells or allergen-specific effector T cells. Allergen-specific Treg cells were found to be FoxP3+ CD25hi CD27+ , cytotoxic T lymphocyte–associated antigen 4+ , CD45RO+ CD127− and were derived from circulating CD25hi T cells. Depletion of the CD25hi cells before in vitro culture significantly enhanced allergen-specific effector T-cell expansion. Conclusion A higher frequency of milk allergen-specific Treg cells correlates with a phenotype of mild clinical disease and favorable prognosis.
For its characteristics, donkey milk has been proposed as an alternative to goat or artificial milk to feed allergic infants. Therefore, it is important to increase our knowledge on health and ...immunological characteristics of donkey milk. Ten donkeys, bred as companion animals, were enrolled in this study and sampled once a month, for eight months. Milk (10 ml) was collected from each half udder for somatic cell count (SCC), bacteriological analysis and total bacteria count (TBC). The major pathogens were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility, and Staphylococcus aureus isolates were further genotyped by nanoarray analysis. Whey lysozyme and NAGase (NAG) activities were also assessed. Overall, 101 half-udder milk samples were taken. They showed very low values of TBC (<250 cfu/ml) and SCC (<50 000 cells/ml) and a minor prevalence of pathogens: Staph. aureus was isolated only from 5 milk samples (3 animals), Streptococcus equi from 2 samples and Str. equisimilis from a single sample. All the isolates were sensitive to all antibiotic classes used in veterinary medicine. None of the Staph. aureus isolates were shown to harbour genes coding for any enterotoxin, toxic-shock syndrome toxin or antibiotic resistance. Lysozyme levels were always very high (4000–5000 U/ml), while NAG values were mostly low (<50 U/ml), out of the last part of lactation. The results of this study confirmed the low prevalence of intramammary infections in donkey and the absence of food-borne pathogens, suggesting that donkey milk could be a safe food, if the mammary gland is healthy and the animals are milked in proper hygienic conditions.
The list of standard abbreviations for JDS is available at adsa.org/jds-abbreviations-24. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes.
The aim of the present study was to assess the effect ...of replacing the forage portion (alfalfa, corn silage, and barley straw) in the diet of lactating Holstein cows with triticale hay (TH, × Triticosecale L.) on DMI, digestibility, ruminal fermentation variables, estimated microbial-N synthesis (EMNS), and milk production and composition. Eight Holstein cows were used in a replicated Latin square design (two 4 × 4 squares) with four 28-d periods and 4 treatments, including a TH-free diet (control), and diets replacing 33%, 66%, and 100% of the forage portion with TH. Cows were fed ad libitum with 10% carryover during the experimental periods. Intakes and in vivo digestibilities of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, and ash-free neutral detergent fiber, rumen pH, ammonia-N, total and individual short-chain fatty acids, protozoa, and bacteria populations were evaluated using specific methods. Moreover, in vitro total gas and methane release and in vivo urinary purine derivatives, EMNS, milk production, and composition were measured. The results showed that TH diets lowered DMI, compared with the control. Apparent digestibilities of DM, OM, CP, and NDF increased with dietary TH inclusion. The addition of TH instead of the diet forage portion increased in vivo rumen pH; acetic, propionic, valeric, and isovaleric acids concentrations; cellulolytic bacteria number; and in vitro gas production. In vivo rumen ammonia-N, short-chain fatty acids, butyric acid, in vivo and in vitro total protozoa and Entodiniinae numbers, and in vitro methane production decreased with increasing dietary levels of TH instead of the forage portion. The dietary addition of TH did not affect milk yield, protein, and lactose, but increased fat-corrected milk, milk fat, fat-corrected milk:DMI ratio, and milk yield:DMI ratio. Milk urea N decreased, but urinary purine derivatives excretion and EMNS increased with increasing levels of TH in the diet. For variables with significant changes, except for isovaleric acid, there was a linear response of animals to increasing levels of TH in the diet. Results suggest that TH, which is grown with less water compared with alfalfa, corn forage, and straw, is a potential alternative to those forages by increasing milk production efficiency, milk fat, and decreasing methane emission.
In Italy, more than 75% of milk is used for cheese making. For this reason, milk composition and coagulation traits and cheese quality represent the most important tools for the economic development ...of the dairy sector. In particular, cheese quality varies in relation to cheese-making technology and breed of cow. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 3 types of milk, originating from Holstein-Friesian (HF), Brown Swiss (BS), and mixed of both breeds, on vat milk characteristics, cheese yield, and quality in 3 different typical Italian cheese-making conditions (Casolet, Vezzena, and Grana Trentino). One hundred forty-four cows (66 HF and 78 BS) were involved, and a total of 24 vats of milk were evaluated. At maturity, 30, 21, and 16 wheels of Casolet, Vezzena, and Grana Trentino cheese were analyzed. Brown Swiss cows yielded 9% less milk per day than HF cows, but milk showed greater contents of protein, casein, titratable acidity, and better rennet coagulation time and curd firmness than HF milk. The chemical composition and cholesterol content of the 3 types of cheese were similar between breeds, whereas the cheese made with BS milk showed greater contents of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Cheese made with BS milk had greater b* (yellow component) than HF. Cheese yield, recorded at different ripening times, demonstrated that BS milk yielded more cheese than HF. Mixed milk showed values, on average, intermediate to HF and BS milk characteristics, and this trend was confirmed in cheese yield at different ripening times.
Human milk is a complete source of nourishment for the infant. Exclusive breastfeeding not only sustains the infant's development but also guides the proliferation of a protective intestinal ...microbiota. Among the many components of milk that modulate the infant gut microbiota, the milk glycans, which comprise free oligosaccharides, glycoproteins, and glycolipids, are increasingly recognized as drivers of microbiota development and overall gut health. These glycans may display pleiotropic functions, conferring protection against infectious diseases and also acting as prebiotics, selecting for the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria. The prebiotic effect of milk glycans has direct application to prevention of diseases such as necrotizing enterocolitis, a common and devastating disease of preterm infants. In this article, we review the impact of the human (and bovine) milk glycome on gut health through establishment of a milk-oriented microbiota in the neonate.
It is known that nutritional composition of breast milk is, to a certain extent, related to maternal diet. The question of nutritional adequacy of mothers' milk is often raised whenever a vegetarian ...or vegan diet during the lactation process is concerned. For this reason, in some countries, the recruitment of vegan lactating women as milk donors is excluded by milk banks. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize existing knowledge on variability of specific nutrients in breastmilk of mothers adhering to a plant-based diet. The databases, including MEDLINE (Pubmed) and Scopus, were used to identify relevant publications. Data extraction and analysis were conducted following a PRISMA protocol. Thirteen publications concerning the impact of dietary pattern and levels of animal-origin food intake on breast milk composition were included. The systematic review has shown that all non-vegetarian, vegetarian and vegan mothers produce breast milk of comparable nutritional value. Several differences are primarily attributed to fatty acids and some micro-components, primarily vitamin B12. Regardless of dietary choices, nourishment and adequate nutrition have a significant impact on human milk composition - on the basis of the current evidence, vegetarian and vegan mothers are capable of producing nutritionally valuable milk for their infants, as far as the appropriate supplementation compensating for breastfeeding mother's nutritional requirements is provided. Dietary choices should not be a permanent exclusion criterion for donor candidates in human milk banks.
•A sensitive microplate fluorescent assay was developed for milk peroxidase activity.•Adding excess exogenous thiocyanate enabled milk normalisation and enzyme activation.•High assay sensitivity and ...reproducibility was demonstrated.•Lactoperoxidase activities in milk from four species were comprehensively analysed.•A hydrogen/oxygen transfer-based mechanism for LPO in the assay system was proposed.
Lactoperoxidase (LPO) is one of the major antibacterial ingredients in milk and an extensively employed indicator for milk heat treatment. The traditional method for LPO activity measurement using ABTS (2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate) cannot achieve high sensitivity and is affected by indigenous milk thiocyanate. A more sensitive microplate fluorescent assay was developed by monitoring generation of red-fluorescent resorufin from LPO catalysed oxidation of Amplex® Red (1-(3,7-dihydroxyphenoxazin-10-yl)ethanone) in this study. The assay is particularly suitable for milk LPO activity measurement as it eliminates the influences of indigenous milk hydrogen peroxide and thiocyanate. The method limit of detection was 7.1x10−6 U/mL of LPO in milk and good intra-run and inter-run precision was obtained. The LPO activities ranked as bovine > goat > camel > human in the four types of milk analysed. The high sensitivity and low cost of this assay makes it suitable for LPO activity analyses in both laboratory and commercial scales.
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of inbreeding on milk production, somatic cell count, fertility, survival, calving performance, and cow conformation in Irish Holstein-Friesian ...pluriparous dairy cows. Inbreeding was included in a linear mixed model as either a class variable or a continuous variable, where higher order polynomials of the latter were also tested in the model as an indicator of nonlinear inbreeding depression. The effects of dam inbreeding and calf inbreeding on calving-related traits were analyzed separately. Inbreeding had a deleterious effect on most of the traits analyzed, although inbreeding depression was sometimes nonlinear or differed significantly across parities. A primiparous animal, 12.5% inbred (i.e., following the mating of noninbred half-sibs), had milk, fat, and protein yields reduced by 61.8, 5.3, and 1.2kg, respectively; fat and protein concentrations reduced by 0.05 and 0.01%, respectively; and somatic cell scores (i.e., natural log of somatic cell count divided by 1,000) increased by 0.03. The 12.5% inbred animal was also expected to have a 2% greater incidence of dystocia, a 1% greater incidence of stillbirth, a 0.7% greater incidence of male calves, an increase in calving interval of 8.8 d, an increase in age at first calving of 2.5 d, and a reduced survival to second lactation of 4 percentage units. Inbred animals were also taller, narrower, and more angular. Although the effects of inbreeding were statistically significant, they were small and are unlikely to cause great financial loss on Irish dairy farms.
Current recommendations suggest that it is appropriate to store human milk (HM) for up to 24 hours following fortification despite any changes that may occur in fortified HM over time. However, a ...recent publication suggested fortified frozen HM should be thawed and fed within 12 hours of fortification due to the risk of lactobezoar or milk curd obstruction.
This study investigated whether lactobezoar (milk curd) formation increased when frozen fortified HM was thawed and fed within 12 hours vs 12 to 24 hours postfortification in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Children’s Hospital of Orange County to determine if practice changes were warranted.
This study was a retrospective cohort study.
All infants admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Orange County NICU for calendar years 2018-2019 who were fed fortified human milk (n = 802) were included in the study.
Feedings using previously frozen (thawed) fortified HM.
Lactobezoar or milk curd formation.
Descriptive analyses were used for statistical analysis.
Of the 107,602 feedings prepared with fortified thawed HM, 68% (72,602) were used within 12 hours of preparation and 32% (34,499) were stored for 12 to 24 hours before administration. The NICU at Children’s Hospital of Orange County did not identify any lactobezoar formation or milk curd obstruction in either group.
Data from this study support recommendations for a maximum storage time for thawed, fortified HM of 24 hours.
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