Janella Ruth Y. Jerota1, Armi Shyr A. Baticados2, Bryan Rey R. Oliveros3, Natalia D. Elayda1
Background: Breastfeeding is a cost-effective, high-impact intervention for health, nutrition, and disaster risk reduction, and is the biological norm for infant feeding. However, illness, maternal death, or separation can disrupt breastfeeding and the mother-child connection, leaving vulnerable newborns without access to their mother’s own milk (MoM). In such cases, human milk banks (HMBs) serve a critical role in providing safe donor human milk (DHM), directly contributing to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 by reducing preventable neonatal mortality. In the Philippines, ensuring the microbiological safety of DHM remains a challenge, particularly for emerging non-hospital-based facilities like the Laguna Human Milk Bank (LHMB). Established in 2022, LHMB operates through community-based donors rather than inpatient mothers, and continues to refine its processing systems, unlike hospital-based HMBs with established standardized protocols. From July 2024 to April 2025, LHMB processed 58 DHM pools, with only 10% passing quality standards, exposing critical operational gaps. The objective is to evaluate the pre- and post-pasteurization microbiological safety of DHM pools processed by LHMB to identify critical control gaps and inform practical quality system improvements aligned with SDG 3.
Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on 58 DHM pools using internal records and pasteurizer logs. Microbial results were analyzed pre- and post-pasteurization, alongside process mapping and review of Holder pasteurization cycles (62.5 ℃ for 30 minutes). Machine-generated logs were examined for discrepancies in heat duration recording.
Results: Pre-pasteurization testing failed in 48 of 58 pools (83%), confirming that the majority of contamination occurs early in the process. Only 4 of 58 pools (7%) failed post-pasteurization testing. Analysis of pasteurization logs revealed under-reporting of heat duration. Machine cycles ran correctly, yet software recorded insufficient time (typically ≥10 minutes), creating a data integrity risk that could misclassify safe milk as non-compliant.
Conclusions: Microbial contamination predominantly occurred before pasteurization, compounded by inaccuracies in process documentation. Recommended interventions include strengthened donor hygiene education, improved sanitation and cold-chain protocols, machine calibration, and verification of pasteurization records. Through integration of these measures within a resource-limited, community-based setting, the LHMB can strengthen its capacity to provide safe DHM as a bridge when a mother’s own milk is temporarily unavailable, helping protect vulnerable infants, support mother-child dyads in returning to breastfeeding, and contribute to SDG 3 by reducing avoidable neonatal mortality.
