How we ensure milk quality and safety

The following diagram illustrates the journey of donated breast milk:

How are milk donors screened and selected?

Donors should be healthy lactating mothers who voluntarily donate their excess milk. Potential donors will go through a 3-step screening and selection process that involves a self-completed questionnaire about herself and her baby, a face-to-face interview conducted by trained personnel, and finally some blood tests. Blood testing is required if a donor continues to donate three months after the date of the initial blood tests, or if there is recent exposure to infection.

How is donor milk collected, stored and processed?

International guidelines and recommendations for collecting, storing and processing donor milk are strictly followed to minimise milk contamination and preserve the nutritional quality. Eligible donors will be supplied with appropriate milk storage containers (bottles or bags). Commercially available food-grade and Bisphenol A-free breast milk storage bags prepared by donors are also acceptable. Donors will receive information on how to express and store their breast milk at home. The Breast Milk Bank will then arrange delivery of the frozen milk via designated courier service under controlled temperature and conditions during transportation. Upon arrival at the Breast Milk Bank, donor milk will go through meticulous processes such as microbiological testing, pasteurisation and cold chain maintenance to ensure quality and safety. Donor milk that fails to meet the standards will be discarded and will not be returned to the donors.

What is pasteurisation? Will it change the quality of the breast milk?

Pasteurisation is a heat treatment process that kills bacteria and viruses at a specific temperature for a set period of time. Most of the unique nutrients and components (such as immune factors) in breast milk remain after pasteurisation. At our Breast Milk Bank, milk samples are tested to monitor the nutritional content.

How is donor breast milk tracked and traced?

The Breast Milk Bank strictly follows international standards in tracking all donor breast milk closely at every stage, from the collection points and multiple processing steps to the final delivery to infants. Our system meticulously records the entire process, ensuring full traceability to enhance accountability and transparency, thereby helping to strengthen public trust in the breast milk donation system.