I just read Jan's comments and questions regarding breastmilk storage and many of her questions echo mine, as I mentioned in an earlier post. I have often been baffled by mothers who carry formula aroound all day without concern about spoilage. I do not know much about formula but do know that as a milkbased product it should probably be treated as a perishable food and not left out more than 2 hours. Yet in my office where food safety issues are often discussed, no one discusses formula being carried around in diaper bags all day. As for breastmilk, i assume the studies were don in a clean environment. In my client's homes there are flies, dogs, cats, children with dirty hands, and no air conditioning. I'm not comfortable recommending that bm can be left out on the table up to ten hours. It was interesting though to read what Jan said about in one study there was more bacterial growth in the refrigerated bm than the bm left out at room temperature. I am thinking about purchasing some educational materials/handouts from Nancy Bryant(Simple Supplemental Aids to Breastfeeding) but she also says colostrum can be left out up to 24 hours and mature milk up to 10 hours. Do I play it safe and take this section? That is my inclination at this point. I look forward to reading more comments from the professionals Laura