An innovative method of preserving breast milk has been developed at Gdansk University of Technology. It will allow a greater amount of extremely valuable bioactive components to be preserved, which cannot be replaced by any artificial mixture.
The original idea of Prof. Edyta Malinowska Pańczyk from the chemistry department of the Gdansk university is to replace the multistage freezing and thawing of milk and pasteurisation with storage under increased pressure at temperatures below 0°C. In such a system, the water does not crystallise and the milk can be kept unfrozen for a long time.
“This method makes it possible to give babies food in which the bacteria have been eliminated, but the composition is similar to that offered by the mother. In addition, this method is less energy-intensive than the milk storage procedure currently used in milk banks”, emphasises Prof Malinowska-Pańczyk.
