Donor milk banks: service operation

What happens to donated milk at the milk bank?

At the milk bank, donated milk should be checked to make sure that it has arrived safely and in good condition. Before donated milk is used, the milk bank should test it for any contamination with microorganisms (such as bacteria); this should happen within 3 months of the milk being expressed. If the milk is suitable to be used, the donated milk should then be treated using a process known as pasteurisation. This process helps to destroy unwanted or disease-causing organisms that can be found in the milk.

Once donated milk has been pasteurised, it should be kept in a freezer until it is needed by a hospital or baby unit. This may be up to 6 months after the donated milk was expressed.

From the time the milk is collected from the donor until it is given to a baby in a hospital or baby unit, records should be kept on who the milk came from, how the milk has been stored, any tests and treatment that the milk has had, and how it has been used. All records kept on donor milk should be treated as confidential.