Fortifying Fresh Human Milk with Commercial Powdered Human Milk Fortifiers Does Not Affect Bacterial Growth During 6 Hours at Room Temperature

To evaluate the growth of resident aerobic mesophilic flora and added Enterobacter sakazakii in fresh, unfortified human milk; fresh human milk fortified with two commercial powdered fortifiers differing in iron content; and infant formula prepared from powder. Eight mothers provided preterm breast milk samples. Breast milk samples were divided into three aliquots: unfortified, fortified with fortifier containing 1.44 mg iron/14 kcal, and fortified with fortifier containing 0.4 mg iron/14 kcal. Aliquots of formula were prepared. Breast milk and formula aliquots were divided into two test samples. Half were inoculated with low amounts of E sakazakii; half were not. All test samples were maintained at room temperature (22°C), serially diluted, and plated onto agars after 0, 2, 4, and 6 hours. Plates were incubated at 35°C and enumerated. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance. P