At PharmaMedia Dr. Müller (PMM), our goal is to manufacture and develop high-quality microbiological media for various pharmaceutical industry applications. The quality and safety of our products derive not only from the use of high-quality and rigorously controlled raw materials, production under strict pharmaceutical conditions, and carefully considered product design, but also from the use of well-thought-out primary and secondary packaging.

Microbiological media from different manufacturers differ significantly more than one might imagine, and the differences extend beyond production conditions, supplementations, and plate design. The type of packaging used to pack and transport plated media significantly contributes to determining media quality, safety, and user-friendliness. 

Gas-permeable or not gas-permeable: this is the question…about packaging 

Different plated media suppliers use different types of packaging to wrap plated media: 
a) Gas-permeable packaging is chosen because it enables the evaporation of condensation, whose formation in plated media is quite common due to the high content of water. However, this type of packaging has the critical disadvantage that plated media start losing water from the moment they are produced and wrapped in gas-permeable foils. Therefore:

• It is necessary to store plated media at 2 – 8 °C to minimize water loss 
• Products have a short shelf life 
• Variable product conditions at the time of application may occur due to the unknown amount of water lost during different storage periods. 

b) At PMM, we consciously chose a multi-layer foil provided with a special gas barrier layer to wrap our plated media. When condensation forms in plated media wrapped in gas-impermeable foil, it accumulates within the packaging because it cannot evaporate. For this reason, it is essential to transport and store PMM-plated media at the most stable temperatures possible to avoid condensation formation.

However, there are many advantages with a positive impact on media quality and handling, which compensate for this necessary caution: 

• almost no loss of water during shelf life 
• storage of media at room temperature 
• long shelf life 
• defined product conditions at the time of application. 

Insulated packaging material: between ecology and comfort 

Insulation is necessary to protect plated media against temperature fluctuations during transport and storage, as well as from physical damage. Insulation could be achieved by packing plated media into Styrofoam boxes. Instead, PMM plated media are packed in cardboard boxes with an additional insulating layer of silver-colored air bubble foil made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). While having similar, or even better, temperature properties compared to Styrofoam boxes, the HDPE-based insulated packaging used at PMM: 

• makes shipment of plated media more economical 
• reduces the space needed to store plated media on pallets and in warehouses 
• offers ecological advantages 

Moreover, the PMM silver-colored air bubble foil features a handle for easy transfer of plated media from cardboard to plastic boxes. 

Driven by customer requests, we leverage our years of experience to improve our products continually.

Stay tuned, do not miss PMM's new patented design of contact plates to control condensation! Follow us on LinkedIn for updates.