Soft curd homogenized milk in infant feeding: A laboratory and clinical study

Abstract

Summary Pasteurized milk homogenized by means of (a) the sonic homogenizer,(b) the low pressure homogenizer, and (c) the high pressure homogenizer in accordance with sound principles of milk technology has been compared with boiled pasteurized milk as a base for infant formulas, using both laboratory and clinical techniques of observation. Each of these milks containing added carbohydrate was fed unboiled and undiluted to over 200 infants for from two to twelve months. There was a low incidence of constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, and kindred gastrointestinal upsets in all groups, and the babies grew and thrived normally. In digestibility and safety the homogenized milks proved as satisfactory as the control boiled milk. Laboratory studies demonstrated that by use of holding pasteurizationtemperatures of from 150 to 160° F. for thirty minutes, the bacterial counts of homogenized milks can be kept at low levels, usually below 2,000 per milliliter, with resulting high sanitary quality and without the introduction of an objectionable heated flavor. The curd tension and related values fluctuated with the seasons andwere at different levels with each type of homogenized milk, but the changes and differences did not give rise to detectable clinical disturbances. In the light of this finding and related observations recorded in the literature, the suggestion is made that there exists a threshold or dividing zone which delimits readily digested or soft curd milks from less thoroughly processed milks or from plain pasteurized milk.