Colostrum Freezing and Thawing Process
So the last 2 blogs have been written around Colostrum, the liquid gold!
So, I would like to continue with the topic of Colostrum and discuss the freezing and thawing process.
As you know, colostrum is an excellent source of nutrition and immune proteins that transport protection to the calf. Because colostrum is so important to the newborn calf, producers need to have options if the cow doesn’t have enough colostrum or the quality isn’t met. Storing colostrum is one of those options of maintaining a “Colostrum Bank”.
Refrigerating Colostrum: Colostrum can be refrigerated for 1 week before the IgG concentration quality decreases. Often times you may need to make sure your refrigerator is at the correct temperature. Set a thermometer in the refrigerator to make sure it holds a temperature of 33-35 F. Colostrum needs to be chilled as soon as possible to reduce the chance of bacteria growth. IgG protein molecules will degrade significantly by bacteria growth. This will reduce the chance for the newborn calf to absorb the IgG’s provided through clean colostrum.
How about freezing: Colostrum can be frozen for up to a year. Frost Free is not desirable as the freezer goes through freeze-thaw cycles which can change the storage life of good quality colostrum.
Freeze colostrum in 1 gallon or 2 qt. freezer bags (colostrum bags are desired) lay bags flat in the freezer and maintain a temperature of -5F.
Now let’s focus on the thawing process: Our main goal is to thaw the colostrum slowly without destroying the immune protein IgG’s. The best method is to warm the colostrum to 120F, massaging the bag periodically will help with thawing a bit faster.
The First Nurse Colostrum Pasteurizer/Warmer can help with thawing your colostrum faster.
Have a wonderful Holiday Season!
-Minnie
