Operational procedure
Acceptance
Shipments containing perishable products will only be accepted if compliant with the following conditions:
- Wet products (seafood, meat, etc.) must be securely packed to prevent leakage or spillage during transportation and they must not emit strong odors.
- Packages containing horticultural products (fruit, vegetables, flowers, etc.) must be sturdy enough to withstand stacking up to 2.2 meters high without the risk of bottom boxes collapsing under the weight. Also, the containers must resist the high levels of moisture released by these products.
- Resistance tests for this type of packaging may be conducted using simulated weight at a temperature of 22-24 °C and relative humidity of 75-80% for 24 hours with boxes stacked up to a height of 3 meters or a weight equivalent to stacking to that height.
- Our customers are welcome to use their own devices to monitor temperature, moisture, vibrations, and other factors that may affect the integrity of their shipment during transport.
- The monitoring devices used must be approved by LATAM Cargo before they are used and they must be declared in the AWB.
For more information on monitoring devices select ?Approved Monitoring Devices? here.
Special conditions
The "Handling Information" box on the air waybill for shipping perishable cargo may provide for the declaration of the special handling code, followed by the temperature range. These can only be the following:
- +2°C to + 8°C when possible
- +15°C to +25°C when possible
On an air waybill, only one temperature range is indicated. Under no circumstances will air waybills be supplemented with unreasonable specific instructions or temperatures. Instructions such as ?Keep between 2 ~ 8°C at all times? and ?Keep below 5°C? are not acceptable.
In the event that the customer does not declare a temperature range and uses one of the following descriptions, LATAM Cargo will interpret this indication as follows:
- ?keep cool?? or ?keep refrigerated?? ? +2°C to + 8°C when possible
- ?Control Temperature room?? ? +15°C to +25°C when possible
Only one temperature range is allowed per air waybill and the temperature range must match with the booking and label. If there are any discrepancies, the shipment will be placed ?on hold? until information is corrected and made consistent.
The shipper is responsible for ensuring that the shipment of perishable goods presented for transportation is pre-chilled, delivered by temperature-controlled transportation, and protected with appropriate packaging against damage from changes in climate, temperature, altitude, or any natural/ordinary exposure that may occur during the flight or on the ground, or when available facilities cannot protect the shipment from such conditions.
All perishable shipments containing solid carbon dioxide (dry ice) are subject to a previous agreement between the shipper and the company. Dry ice is classified as hazardous material and the amount permitted on board is limited by the type of aircraft.
Note: Whenever dry ice is used as coolant, a special note must be made. The following text must be affixed next to the product name: "Dry Ice 9 UN 1845", followed by the amount of dry ice contained in each package.
Labeling
Labeling for perishables must be as follows:
- Blue label indicating the contents: meat, fish, vegetables or fruit.
- Orientation labels (arrows indicating "this side up").
- Hazard risk for Class 9 materials if dry ice has been used to refrigerate the product.
Examples of commodities transported with this care option:
- Fish, vegetables, fruit, flowers
For further information on our Fresh care option, please contact your local office.