Safety

How we do it

These are the important steps Lifeblood takes to protect the babies receiving donated breast milk, based on what the latest medical evidence tells us:

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Screening
We ask donors some lifestyle questions to make sure there’s nothing that could be harmful in the donation (e.g. infections, medications).
illustration of a scientist standing in front of test tubes
Testing
We screen and test donors for key infectious diseases, using the same world-class processes Lifeblood applies to blood donations.
illustration of a container of milk next to a thermometer
Pasteurisation
We heat the donated breast milk to a certain temperature, then rapidly cool it: this process kills any bacteria or viruses.
illustration of a woman holding a large white droplet
Sending it out
Before we send it out, we test the donated breast milk one more time for bacteria.
From donor to baby in need

Watch the journey of milk

Watch this video to learn every step a breast milk donation takes on its way to a vulnerable baby — and the tests and processing it goes through along the way.