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Safe feeding for infants
Breast milk is best for babies and all parents should be encouraged to breastfeed their babies. Breast milk contains all the nutrition newborn babies need and breastfeeding benefits both the mother and the baby. Parents who have made the decision to feed their baby infant formula, either exclusively or in combination with breast milk, need guidance on the preparation and storage of infant formula. Both expressed breast milk and infant formula need careful preparation and storage to ensure they are safe.
Infants can be susceptible to infections as their immune systems are still developing. Although infant formula is produced in hygienic and carefully controlled conditions, it is not sterile and can contain low levels of bacteria. Preparing milk correctly can minimise the growth of harmful bacteria.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure you handle expressed breast milk and infant formula correctly.
Please note these guidelines are for feeding expressed breast milk and infant formula to healthy full-term babies only. Please consult with your health professional for advice on feeding infant formula to your baby if your baby is premature, low birth weight or very sick; and not being breastfed.
Handling expressed breast milk
Always wash your hands before expressing breast milk. For good hand hygiene, take 20 seconds to wash and 20 seconds to dry your hands.
Once expressed, breast milk can be stored in a sterilised plastic or glass container.
Clean and sterilise all feeding equipment until your baby is three months old. Read our guidelines further below on how to sterilise bottles and feeding equipment.
Guidelines for storing expressed breast milk safely
You can store breast milk safely in a sterile container with a lid. You can also freeze it.
Each time you express breast milk, store it in a separate sterilised container. Do not add it to other breast milk you expressed earlier, especially frozen breast milk.
Adding new expressed breast milk to frozen breast milk may cause some of the frozen milk to thaw and then refreeze. This increases the risk of bacterial growth in the milk, which might harm your baby.
Storage of breast milk |
Storage time |
Stored at room temperature (less than 26oC) |
2 hours |
Refrigerated breast milk |
48 hours |
Frozen breast milk stored in the: | |
- freezer box within a refrigerator |
2 weeks |
- freezer part of a fridge/freezer |
3 to 6 months |
- separate chest or vertical freezer |
6 to 12 months |
How to thaw and warm expressed breast milk safely
Do not thaw or warm expressed breast milk in the microwave as this destroys the living cells in the milk.
To thaw expressed breast milk
Frozen breast milk can be thawed in the refrigerator or alternatively, put the container into a bowl of warm water.
Sterilise the cup or bottle you put the milk into, before you feed your baby. You need to sterilise feeding cups and bottles for the first three months of your baby’s life.
To warm expressed breast milk
1. Fill a bowl with hot water
2. Put the cup or bottle containing the expressed breast milk into the bowl filled with hot water
3. Before feeding, thoroughly shake the bottle. Then test the temperature of the expressed breast milk by shaking a few drops onto the inside of your wrist. If the milk is comfortably warm to the touch, it will be about the same temperature as fresh breast milk.
4. Expressed breast milk should not be warmed in the microwave.
5. Use warmed expressed breast milk within 2 hours
6. Throw out any expressed breast milk left in the bottle after a feed, and wash and re-sterilise the bottle. Never reheat expressed breast milk.
Storing breast milk while travelling
While travelling, it is important to keep expressed breast milk safe. You can keep expressed breast milk cold for up to four hours in a thermos flask. Do not use a thermos flask that is also used for any other food or drink – have one that is just for expressed breast milk. Also, do not use a thermos flask to carry warm milk as this can increase the risk of bacterial growth in the milk.
Before use, wash the thermos flask in hot soapy water and rinse with boiled water.
How to store and prepare powdered formula safely
Keep powdered formula covered and in a clean dry place. Check the use-by-date and use it within four weeks of opening.
Clean and sterilise all feeding equipment until your baby is three months old. Read our guidelines further below on how to sterilise bottles and feeding equipment.
Preparing formula safely
1. Always wash your hands before preparing bottle feeds. For good hand hygiene, take 20 seconds to wash and 20 seconds to dry your hands
2. Make sure the area and all the equipment used to make up your baby’s feeds is clean
3. Make up formula with cold, previously boiled water. For at least the first 3 months, all water (including bought water), used to make up formula should be boiled and chilled on the day it is used. Boil water for 3 minutes on the stovetop or until your automatic kettle switches off. Keep boiled water covered while it cools and until it is needed. Water from tanks or bore holes should be boiled and cooled for babies and toddlers until they are about 18 months old.
4. If possible, infant formula should be made up just before a feed. Discard any formula that has not been consumed within two hours.
5. Prepared formula can be stored for later use in the back of the refrigerator at 4° C. It should be stored for no longer than 24 hours.
Warming infant formula safely
Formula can be heated by placing the bottle in a container of hot water.
Microwaves can heat unevenly. If you are using a microwave, shake the milk thoroughly after heating and leave it to stand for two to three minutes. Shake the formula again before using.
Test the temperature of the milk by shaking a few drops onto the inside of your wrist. The formula should feel comfortably warm to the touch.
Throw out any formula that is left in the bottle after a feed.
Do not reheat any prepared formula that has already been warmed or partially consumed.
Handling prepared infant formula safely when travelling
If you need to take a bottle of formula with you, take previously boiled and cooled water separate from the formula powder. Prepare the formula in a sterilised bottle just before using it.
Managing allergens when preparing milk
Take care when preparing formula or expressed breast milk for children who have allergies. Ensure there is no cross contamination of potential allergens.
Some precautions include:
• prepare the expressed breast milk or formula for children with allergies first or in a separate area
• ensure hands, utensils and the preparation area is cleaned thoroughly before preparing milk for children with allergies
• ensure hands, utensils and the preparation area is cleaned thoroughly between preparing each child’s milk
• ensure allergic children have their own individual cup or bottle which is not shared with others.
Sterilising bottles and feeding equipment
Clean and sterilise all feeding equipment until your baby is three months old.
Always wash your hands before preparing expressed breast milk or formula. For good hand hygiene, take 20 seconds to wash and 20 seconds to dry your hands.
Make sure the area and all the equipment used to make up your baby’s feed is clean.
• Place the bottles, feeding equipment and mixing utensils in a pot
• If you use glass bottles, a clean cloth in the bottom of the pot may stop bottles from chipping
• Fill the pot with water, high enough to cover everything
• Bring the water to boil and boil for five minutes
• Use clean tongs to lift the bottles out and place them on a clean dry surface
• Store bottles with the teat upside-down in the bottle, or cover the teat with the sterile cap
• Please note that a dishwasher does not sterilise bottles, feeding equipment and mixing utensils.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully if you use any of the following methods:
• chemical sterilisation using sterilising solution in a plastic container
• microwave sterilisation using a special microwave sterilising unit. This is not suitable for glass bottles
• steam sterilisation.
Related pages
Page last updated October 2007
New Zealand Food Safety Authority
68-86 Jervois Quay
PO Box 2835
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 2500
Fax: +64 4 894 2501
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