Seward EVOlves food sample preparation

The firm introduced the Stomacher 400 EVO laboratory blender and Stomacher 400 ECO sample preparation bags during the trade show.

Laboratories can also save up to 25% on consumables by using the Seward Stomacher 400 EVO with the Stomacher ECO bags which use less plastic than standard Stomacher bags, said Seward.

Support sample prep process​

Dan Crothers, Seward’s managing director, said it re-thought how it can better support the food sample preparation process and offer value to laboratories.

“With the Seward Stomacher 400 EVO we’ve changed the front door to allow easier access for the user. It is a one touch blending operation so the user just drops the bag into the slot and pushes the button to start the blending operation,” ​he told FoodQualityNews at the trade show.

“The unique benefit also being we can change to the ECO bag samples where the user will get consumable savings on the basis of how the door assembly is set up.​

“With the ECO bags we’ve been able to cut down the amount of plastic that’s been used in the bag so eco meaning eco-friendly and economically we’re able to pass on the cost savings to the customer in terms of less material required for the product.”​

Seward Stomacher blenders are used to prepare more than eight million food samples in more than 150 countries. The Stomacher 400 Circulator will be maintained in the range. 

The one-touch bag loading system means operators need to place the bag in the loading slot, and push the start button on the programmable screen display for the bag to be sealed and blending to begin.

A removable drip tray means any spillages can be cleaned, and the paddle chamber can be opened and paddles removed, making the complete chamber accessible.

Product development and demand​

Crothers said feedback from end users, food laboratory lab managers as well as distribution partners has been positive.

“We’ve had this in the R&D process and tested against the 400 Circulator and all the testing has come back positive in terms of the machine performance and ECO bags. The exciting thing is we’re able to base it on the gold standard which the Stomacher 400 circulator has already set in the market.”​

Crothers said it is a global standard for food sample preparation for microbiological analysis.

“The Stomacher is globally renowned for sample preparation in food microbiology, the food sample will go into a sterile Stomacher bag with the diluent and the bag will then be processed within the Stomacher machine,” ​he said.

“The benefits of this are that it gives you a viable organism recovery without cross contamination between samples or requiring the machine to be cleaned down between each sample.”​