Milk Banking Updates Related to COVID-19

April 7, 2020

Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas is carefully monitoring ongoing developments regarding the outbreak of COVID-19 and how it relates to milk banking.

Numerous safeguards are in place to protect the quality and integrity of every bottle processed including strict donor screening, validated pasteurization and third-party microbiological testing. MMBNT exceeds standards set by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA), which were developed with involvement of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

New evidence regarding the stability of Sars-CoV-2 at different environmental conditions reported that the virus is significantly reduced when heated to 56°C for ten minutes, and completely inactivated within 30 minutes (Chin et al., 2020). 

Additionally, studies have documented complete heat inactivation of genetically similar viruses such as SARS and MERS, specifically heat treatment of 60°C for 30 minutes (Miriam & Taylor, 2006; Rabenau et al., 2005; van Doremalen, 2014). 

All donor milk dispensed from MMBNT undergoes heat treatment using the Holder pasteurization method of 62.5°C for 30 minutes.

MMBNT will continue to vigilantly monitor the COVID-19 outbreak to safeguard its donor milk supply. In 15-years of operation and 5 million ounces dispensed, donor human milk processed by MMBNT has never harmed or infected an infant.

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Chin, A. W., Chu, J. T., Perera M. R., Hui, K. P.,Yen, H. L., Chan, M. C., Peiris, M., & Poon, L, L. (2020). Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in different environmental conditions. The Lancet Microbe. Advanced online publication. DOI:10.1016/S2666-5247(20)30003-3