Laboratory supplier Medical Wire & Equipment (MWE) received a returned product recently – nothing unusual there you might think, except this product was almost 40 years old!
In January 2024, a bottle of Vacuneda was returned to MWE headquarters. The bottle of blood culture medium was discovered after a hospital in southern England cleaned out a condemned office. The manufacture of Vacuneda was discontinued in the 1980s as laboratories centralised and adopted new technologies with automated platforms.
Amongst other ageing treasures of a once bustling microbiology laboratory office, MWE’s Vacuneda had settled on its side, still fully sealed, and sterile. Although the seal is still intact, the company says it would advise against using it. It is impressive that this particular bottle has remained sterile several decades subsequent to this batch’s expiry in 1984.
The company plans to display this example of MWE’s history in its reception area and has also congratulated its production and quality control teams on their high manufacturing standards.
