The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) has published updated Good Practice Recommendations for IVF laboratories, providing comprehensive guidance on the safe handling of eggs, sperm and embryos throughout the fertility journey.

While much of the document focuses on laboratory practice, one message is particularly relevant to specialist fertility transport: the movement of cryopreserved reproductive material is considered an integral part of the quality management system, not simply a logistical exercise.

The guidance emphasises that cryopreserved material should remain at appropriate cryogenic temperatures throughout storage, handling and transport. It also highlights the importance of validated equipment, clear documentation, robust identification procedures and complete traceability from the moment material leaves one clinic until it is safely received by another.

For patients, this should provide reassurance that moving embryos, eggs or sperm between clinics is a carefully controlled clinical process. For fertility professionals, it reinforces the need for experienced couriers, validated dry shippers and an unbroken chain of custody.

At Life on Ice, these principles have always been at the heart of how we work. Every transport is carried out using validated cryogenic equipment, with meticulous documentation and direct clinic-to-clinic communication to help ensure the highest standards of safety and traceability.

As fertility treatment increasingly involves collaboration between clinics, safe specialist transport has never been more important. The updated ESHRE recommendations reinforce what many embryologists have long understood: protecting reproductive material doesn't stop at the laboratory door—it continues throughout every stage of its journey.

Reference: ESHRE Good Practice Recommendations for IVF Laboratories, published in Human Reproduction (August 2026).