METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARATION OF HUMAN MILK TO BE STORED

Abstract

A method for preparation of human milk to be stored includes the steps of subjecting the human milk (M) to a treatment for inactivating or reducing an amount of biological contaminants in the human milk, freezing the human milk and forming flakes of the human milk, and collecting the frozen human milk flakes (F) in a container. This method and an according apparatus enable storing human milk for later use in a very small dose, i.e. in the form of pasteurized frozen milk flakes.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A method for preparation of human milk to be stored, wherein the method comprises the steps of: subjecting the human milk to a treatment for inactivating or reducing an amount of biological contaminants in the human milk, freezing the human milk and forming particles of the human milk and collecting the frozen human milk particle in a container.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the human milk is irradiated with UV light, whereby the amount of biological contaminants in the human milk is inactivated or reduced.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the treatment for inactivating or reducing the amount of biological contaminants in the human milk and the freezing are subjected to the human milk at the same time.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein a cold fluid stream is used for freezing the human milk.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising the step forwarding the human milk through a nozzle in a flow, thereby bringing the flow of human milk into the cold fluid stream.

21. The method of claim 19, comprising the step of forwarding the cold fluid stream into an irradiation region of a UV light and bringing the human milk into said irradiation region.

22. The method of claim 16, comprising the steps of bringing a flow of the human milk onto at least one rotating freezer drum, rotating the at least one freezer drum, whereby the human milk is forwarded and frozen, and cutting or breaking the frozen milk into particles.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising the step of irradiating a surface of the at least one rotating freezer drum with UV light, wherein the surface forwards the human milk.

24. The method of claim 22, comprising the step of rotating two freezer drums in opposed directions to each other.

25. An apparatus for preparation of human milk to be stored, wherein the apparatus comprises a treatment device for inactivating or reducing an amount of biological contaminants in the human milk and a freezing and flake forming device for freezing the human milk and for forming particles of the human milk.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the treatment device comprises at least one UV light source.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least one UV light source is arranged such with regard to the freezing and flake forming device that the light of the at least one UV light source irradiates the human milk being treated in the freezing and flake forming device.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the freezing and flake forming device comprises at least one blower producing a cold fluid stream.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the freezing and flake forming device comprises at least one rotatable freezer drum.

30. Frozen human milk particles produced according the method of claim 16.

31. The method of claim 16 wherein the particles are flakes.

32. The method of claim 19 wherein the cold fluid stream is a cold air stream.

33. The method of claim 25 wherein the particles are flakes.

34. The frozen human milk particles of claim 30 wherein the particles are flakes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the following with reference to the drawings, which are for the purpose of illustrating the present preferred embodiments of the invention and not for the purpose of limiting the same. In the drawings,

[0043] FIG. 1 shows schematically an apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention and

[0044] FIG. 2 shows schematically an apparatus according to a second embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an inventive apparatus. Human milk M is preferably supplied to the apparatus through a milk supply line 1 and is spread by a nozzle 2 into an irradiation area 5 of an at least one UV lamp 4. The UV lamp 4 preferably emits UV-C light. It can be injected or just flow out of the nozzle caused by gravity.

[0046] In this embodiment, the irradiation area 5 is formed by more than one lamp 5, which are preferably arranged in a circle encompassing the irradiation area. The apparatus also comprises a fan or a blower 3. The blower 3 blows cold air into the irradiation area 5. In this embodiment, the outlet direction of the nozzle 2 and the outlet direction of the blower 3 are the same. In this embodiment, the milk M and the cold air flow top down. However, the common flow direction of the cold air and the milk M can also be horizontal or at another angle. In addition, the cold air can be injected at an angle to the milk flow, for example perpendicular. A container 6 is arranged downstream of the milk flow.

[0047] When the milk M is brought into the irradiation area 5 it is subjected to cold air. This causes the milk M to divide into droplets and freeze into flakes or other small particles. During this process, the milk is also subjected to the UV light. An amount of biological contaminants in the milk M is therefore inactivated or reduced at the same time as it is frozen. The milk M is therefore pasteurized. The end product are frozen human milk flakes F which fall into the container 6 or which can be forwarded by appropriate transporting means, such as an endless conveying belt, to the container 6.

[0048] Since the milk M is parted into droplets and later frozen into small particles, such as flakes, the irradiation with UV lamp is sufficient to pasteurize the milk.

[0049] FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the invention. The apparatus shown comprises two freezing drums 7, which are rotated in opposite direction to each other. Preferably, the direction of the rotation is such that the surface of the upper parts of the drums 7 are driven away from each other. The upper parts of the drums 7 are the parts where the milk is supplied to the surface. In FIG. 2, arrows show this direction of rotation. Like this, milk can be distributed over a maximized area of the drum's surface. The surfaces of the freezing drums are cooled.

[0050] On top of the freezing drums 7, preferably in the middle space of the drums 7, human milk M is supplied in a stream. The surfaces of the two freezer drums 7 contact each other preferably. In another embodiment, there is a small gap between the two freezer drums 7.

[0051] The milk M preferably is supplied through a nozzle 2. The milk M is forwarded on the cooled surface of the drums 7, whereby it is parted in two thin films, each film laying on one of the surfaces of the drums 7. While being forwarded by the drums 7, the milk is subjected to UV light, preferably UV-C light. This UV light is emitted by at least one UV lamp preferably arranged above the surface of the rotating drums 7. Since the film of the milk is thin, the UV light is sufficient to inactivate or reduce an amount of biological contaminants in the milk and therefore to cold-pasteurize it.

[0052] Cutting or breaking elements, such as scrapers, deflectors or blades 8 are arranged downstream of the UV lamps, cutting or breaking the frozen milk film into flakes F and guiding them into containers 6. Once again, the end product is pasteurized frozen human milk flakes F.

[0053] In both embodiments, the shape of the nozzle 2, the temperature of the air or the freezing drums, the length of the irradiation path and the intensity of the UV light applied is chosen such that the milk is sufficiently and rapidly frozen, the milk is sufficiently parted into flakes and the milk is sufficiently pasteurized.

[0054] The inventive method and the inventive apparatus enable storing human milk for later use in a very small dose.