Low temperatures (freezing)

For long-term storage, breastmilk is best kept in freezers of -20 degrees C or colder. The basic principles of freezing dictate that frozen foods at -18C (0F) are indefinitely safe from bacterial contamination, although enzymatic processes inherent in food could persist, with possible changes in milk quality.1 Viruses such as CMV and HTLV are reduced or eliminated.2 Hopefully, more research will be done regarding cold temperatures as milk treatment.

See the section on CMV  and HTLV for more information about the promising effect of cold treatment of viruses.

_______________

  1. ABM Clinical Protocol #8: Human Milk Storage Information for Home Use for Full-Term Infants ↩︎
  2. Dr. John May, et al. 2005. La Trobe Tables ↩︎