Food and Nutrition Sciences, 2017, 8, 402-418 http://www.scirp.org/journal/fns ISSN Online: 2157-9458 ISSN Print: 2157-944X DOI: 10.4236/fns.2017.84028 April 27, 2017 The Impact of the Block Freeze Concentration Process on Human Milk Properties Intended for Feeding Newborns Ana Claudia Berenhauser 1 , Maria Helena Machado Canella 2 , Isabella de Bona Muñoz 2 , Elane Schwinden Prudencio 2 , J. Vladimir Oliveira 3 , Jane Mara Block 2 1 Maternity Ward of UFSC, UFSC, Florianópolis, Brazil 2 Department of Food Science and Technology, UFSC, Florianópolis, Brazil 3 Department of Chemical and Food Engineering, UFSC, Florianópolis, Brazil Abstract Human milk is the ideal nutritional support for premature neonates. Consi- dering the need for aggregating nutritional value to human milk provided to such vulnerable group of infants, human milk was concentrated by the block freeze concentration technique. The effects of freeze concentration on the physicochemical properties, the efficiency of the process, color parameters, and the density and dynamic viscosity of human milk were assessed. The freeze concentration technology was used to successfully concentrate human milk to a factor equal to 180.48% and 72% of total solid retention in the second stage of freeze concentration. The values observed in the concentrates for the biochemical properties showed that the fraction of concentrated fluid human milk of the second stage (C2) presented elevated amounts of carbohy- drates, protein and energy. The elevated caloric value observed in the ice frac- tion of the first stage (I1) refers to the retention of lipids in it. When added to human milk, C2 and I1 may satisfy the special requisites of nutrients and energy to guarantee the growth and development of preterm neonates. Keywords Freeze Concentration, Human Milk, Human Milk Fortifier, Premature Neonate 1. Introduction Human milk is the ideal nutritional support for premature neonates and its use is encouraged at the neonatal intensive care units and after the premature baby goes home [1]. However, the mothers of such premature babies are less inclined to begin expressing milk, sustain lactation and provide their milk soon after How to cite this paper: Berenhauser, A.C., Canella, M.H.M., de Bona Muñoz, I., Pru- dencio, E.S., Oliveira, J.V. and Block, J.M. (2017) The Impact of the Block Freeze Con- centration Process on Human Milk Proper- ties Intended for Feeding Newborns. Food and Nutrition Sciences, 8, 402-418. https://doi.org/10.4236/fns.2017.84028 Received: March 8, 2017 Accepted: April 24, 2017 Published: April 27, 2017 Copyright © 2017 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open Access