Cold-chain handling for laboratory materials

Most avoidable degradation happens between the courier and the freezer. A short, documented receiving procedure removes the majority of that risk.

Allow sealed containers to equilibrate to room temperature before opening. Opening a cold container in a humid room draws condensation onto the material, which is difficult to detect and impossible to reverse.

Record freeze–thaw cycles in the batch log. Repeated cycling is cumulative, and a material that has been through several cycles is not equivalent to one that has been through none, even where both are within their stated shelf life.

Where a temperature excursion occurs in transit, note it against the batch record rather than the product. Excursion data is only useful if it can later be linked to a specific shipment.