Macronutrient and Bioactive Profiles of Donor Milk Differ in Commercial vs Non-Profit Milk Banks

Objective The objective was to explore variation of macronutrient and bioactive content between levels of human milk-derived human milk fortifier (HM-HMF), and between donor human milk (DHM) from commercial vs non-profit banks. Study Design We analyzed the concentration of macronutrients, Immunoglobulin A (IgA), and cortisol in multiple lots of each HM-HMF product (20, 24, 26, 28, and 30 kcal/oz) using multiple methods. Result At each level of caloric density (p<0.0001), protein, carbohydrate, and caloric concentration in HM-HMF increased with minor exceptions while fat and cortisol concentrations did not differ. Total IgA concentrations differed by product type (p <0.0001). Protein concentration did not differ between commercial and non-profit donor milk banks while carbohydrates, fat, calories, and cortisol were higher, and IgA was lower. Lot-to-lot variability of all DHM components was lower in commercial DHM. Conclusion This study expands data on the variability in the composition of DHM originating from various sources.