Sterile swabs used in pharmaceuticals and food microbiology industries now have an extended 15-month shelf-life with Active Packaging from Bibby Sterilin.
Designed to maintain freshness and integrity the swab packages are vacuum-sealed and injected with nitrogen to give a controlled environment inside each pouch.
The plastics film-film pouch offers important benefits over traditional porous paper-plastics film packaging, says the company.
It is waterproof and the five-layer plastics film also impedes ingress from oxygen. This prevents oxidation, evaporation and dehydration.
Unlike conventional paper and plastics pouches, there is no shedding of paper fibres on opening – important in surgical rooms that must remain sterile.
To further ensure integrity, a tamper evidence system is incorporated which changes colour from clear to white when the pouch is opened.
Lot number, expiry date and description are printed both on the pack and the swab tube.