Breaches and errors related to imports of health products in containers

• Autor(a) principal: D'Ávila, Mariene Castilho
• Data de Publicação: 2016
• Outros Autores: Nobre, Patrícia Fernandes S., Leandro, Kátia Christina
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Vigilância Sanitária em Debate
• Texto Completo: https://visaemdebate.incqs.fiocruz.br/index.php/visaemdebate/article/view/791
• topic: Vigilância Sanitária; Importação; Contêineres; Temperatura; Sanitary Surveillance; Import; Containers; Temperature

Half of the health products imported through the Port of Rio de Janeiro are stored in containers. As 70% of these containers do not have refrigeration system, manufacturer’s recommendations –as required by health regulations- cannot be guaranteed. Containers are usually made of steel, aim to enable safe and efficient transportation of various goods, and are embedded in a complex multi-modal system. This study aimed to gain insight into this kind of imports, checking the scientific research, international law, technical guidance and current operational practices. Studies conducted between 2014 and 2015 revealed that containers are sensitive to the environment in which they are laid up, finding that 30% of the measurements differed from the recommended temperature for storage. Temperatures were recorded above 60 °C. Time of exposure of products to these conditions was estimated to be at least 38 days. We found no scientific studies on packaging of health products in containers. Legal and technical studies are incipient. These results reinforce the concern related to the effectiveness of imported products and to the need to promote a debate on containers storage establishing minimum requirements necessary for assuring quality.