Food-Derived Compounds Extend the Shelf-Life of Frozen Human Milk.

ABSTRACT: Breastmilk is known to provide optimal nutrition for infant growth and development. A cross-sectional analysis of nationally representative US data from 2016 to 2021 revealed that >90% of lactating mothers reported using breast pumps to express milk.¹ We conducted a survey of n = 1,049 lactating or recently lactating individuals from a US nationally representative population to explore breastmilk storage practices among this group. The data revealed that 83% of respondents store breastmilk in their homes, with 68% using freezers to do so for >1 month. The lowest available temperature in most household freezers is -20 °C, a temperature that is inadequate to maintain human milk's emulsified structure, leading to separation, degradation of fats, loss of key vitamins, and cha

SUBMITTER: Silpe JE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11661246 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature