MedWire News: Inhaling relatively small levels of milk powder significantly increases the risk of respiratory symptoms, study results suggest.

Ingestion of cow milk is a well-known cause of allergies among children and adults. Yet studies have not explored the potential health risks associated with inhaling cow's milk in powder form.

This may be especially relevant for workers who are regularly exposed to milk powder, including pediatric nurses, nannies and bakers, say lead investigator Dr Maritta Jaakkoa from the University of Birmingham in the UK, and colleagues.

Dr Jaakkola and team evaluated the potential effects of milk powder dust on 167 production and packing workers and 76 office workers from four milk powder factories in Thailand. All participants answered questionnaires on respiratory health, occupational exposure and lifestyle factors and underwent lung function testing.

The study findings, published in the European Respiratory Journal, showed that factory workers were twice as likely as office workers to experience wheezing (24% versus 12%, respectively) and breathlessness (33% versus 16%, respectively), and had a 2.5-fold higher risk of nasal symptoms.

Factory workers also had significantly lower lung function measures compared with office staff.

Workers who inhaled milk powder experienced significant respiratory symptoms, even when air concentrations of milk dust were low, say the researchers.

The results suggest that preventative measures, eg, respiratory surveillance in industrial workforces and gloves in food processing industries, should be considered. Nannies and bakers should also undergo investigations for potential health effects.