Breast Milk In Powder Form: Soon It Will Be This

Breast milk is a natural product that happens to be one of the most important substances for human life. Breast milk offers the best mix of nutrients that the baby needs during the first months of life. Sometimes, however, breastfeeding is not possible, and in these cases, powdered breast milk is now an option.

Breast milk is very valuable thanks to the health benefits it offers, which extend all the way up to adulthood. According to the World Health Organization, breastfeeding reduces infant mortality and protects against conditions such as diarrhea, pneumonia and asthma. By only breastfeeding during the first months, we also give the baby all the energy it needs to grow strong and healthy.

But  many mothers cannot breastfeed their babies,  or not to the extent they would like to. Some suffer from nutritional problems or diseases that make breastfeeding difficult.

In these situations, one has to find a substitute, which leads us to the question: how can we ensure that the newborn gets all the nutrition he needs without harming his digestive system?

With this in mind, breast milk banks have been created, where women with more milk than they need can donate. But  studies have shown that the pasteurization process can destroy some of the important proteins and fats that milk contains. As mentioned, these nutrients are critical for the baby’s diet. They can not be exposed to high temperatures because it breaks them down.

However, thanks to technology, a group of researchers at the  University of Guadalajara  in Mexico has made great strides. With the help of the city’s hospital, they have managed to develop  a surprising, new type of food for babies: breast milk in powder form. This procedure is very promising for the storage and preservation of this valuable product, and seems to be able to help many.

The experts extract excess water from the breast milk by exposing it to very high temperatures. In this way, they can  dry the milk and turn it into a powder, which avoids the pasteurization process. Furthermore, there is no need to store the product in the freezer, which you must do with regular milk.

According to a statement  , the transformation process consists of evaporating droplets of liquid at a high temperature until the liquid is gone. This method is called aspersion and involves separating the liquid into very fine droplets. In this case, the droplets undergo the evaporation process and then become a powder.

The powder is then stored drop by drop. This technology preserves almost all the nutrients in the milk – only 10% is lost. In other words, this powdered breast milk is almost as good as the fresh one.

One of the effects of this breakthrough is that breast milk can now be stored and transported to isolated communities. The product can be  stored for up to six months without compromising quality. This innovation has brought benefits to thousands of needy children, completely free of charge.

As we know, breast milk banks fulfill an important social function. But the problems associated with storing the milk make it difficult to transport safely.

Powdered breast milk comes with many benefits in these situations. Because the milk can be transported under a wider range of circumstances, it can be distributed to more isolated areas.

The next challenge is to  create the first bank for powdered breast milk, which would benefit a large number of children. Especially families in areas that are far away from hospitals and big cities. The first bank of this kind is planned in Mexico, but they will soon be all over the world.

According to the researchers involved  , they are now applying for a patent. When this is done, others will be able to use the technology. This innovation will provide food for many children with nutritional problems, both in and out of hospitals.