Mother’s Milk Bank Uses Induction Sealing to Prevent Leaks
The most fragile infants depend on Mother’s Milk Bank of Florida and their mighty mission to provide safe, pasteurized donor human milk (DHM). DHM is distributed by prescription to babies that are preterm or are medically fragile and the amount of milk from the infant’s mother is not quite enough to meet her baby’s nutritional needs.
Ensuring the safety of the milk supply entails careful donor qualification similar to blood or human tissue banks. Each donation of milk is diligently tracked from receiving to processing to delivery at neonatal intensive care units. Processing includes nutritional analysis, bottling, and pasteurization. Each batch of milk is tested after pasteurization to certify there is no bacteria in the milk. Once the sealed containers are pasteurized, they are place in frozen storage until shipped to hospitals to help newborns in need.
We have found our Super Seal™ Juniors to be a perfect fit for our operation. Customer Service is optimal and includes tips for best practice and troubleshooting when using new seals or bottles.
Kandis Natoli, PhD, Executive Director at MMB of FL
Initially, MMB used a labor-intensive method for pasteurization and had a cap that wouldn’t allow for full submersion. They needed a leak-proof solution and heard about Enercon through a medical equipment sales representative that provides tools and consumables to the neonatal intensive care units.
Since then, the organization has ordered two Super Seal™ Juniors to seal their polypropylene bottles with 38mm caps. The handheld induction sealer gives a leak-proof, hermetic seal that allows full submersion for in-bottle pasteurization.
“We have found our Super Seal™ Juniors to be a perfect fit for our operation. Customer Service is optimal and includes tips for best practice and troubleshooting when using new seals or bottles,” says Kandis Natoli, PhD, the Executive Director at MMB, and also an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) and Registered Nurse.
Breastmilk is vital for infants that are born premature or with certain medical conditions who need that milk to dramatically improve their chances to survive, grow, and thrive. Mothers’ Milk Bank of Florida is a member of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America and as such needs to follow strict standards to optimize the safety and quality of the milk.
Mother’s Milk Bank employs the Usability Theory to test new products and procedures. It asks a series of questions:
- Is it accurate, precise, and reliable?
- Is it efficient with time, effort, and space?
- After staff accommodate to the change, do they find it preferable, easier, and better?
“The answer was a resounding YES to all three questions,” affirms Natoli. Productivity almost doubled when they combined induction sealing with a high-capacity pasteurizer.
If you would like to learn more about how induction sealing can improve your operations, please visit our applications page or contact us.
