Fighting the Heat: Challenges of the Cold Chain in Latin America
- Latin America’s pharmaceutical cold chain is facing its toughest test yet, with several temperature violations occurring on airport ramps.
- GRU Airport in São Paulo raises the bar with real-time tracking, CEIV pharma standards, and smart handling to keep medicines safe.
- Collaboration and innovation—from high-tech thermal coatings to standardized processes—are key to protecting patients and supporting a strong, cooler supply chain.
Maintaining the integrity of heat-sensitive medicines during air transport is one of the most pressing logistical challenges in Latin America. While cold chain management has improved significantly in Europe and North America, Latin American airports still face systemic barriers, especially when cargo is exposed to extreme temperatures on airport ramps.
Globally, air cargo accounts for approximately 80% of reported flight losses due to heat, with approximately 60% occurring when the cargo is on the runway. For Latin America, this problem is exacerbated by long routes across the hemisphere. “Long routes across climatic zones are exposed to temperature fluctuations,” explains Marcelo Mazzali of the management system and quality at GRU Airport. Management companies in the area are often not certified in best practices, which increases the risks.
silent threat
Airport ramps are widely seen as one of the most dangerous drug exposure points. “Airport ramps are a critical contact point due to a combination of exposure to the elements, surfaces above 30 degrees Celsius, strong sunlight, tropical rain and high humidity,” Mazali says.
These conditions create several thermal hazards: direct sunlight, re-radiation of hot asphalt, heat from the surrounding air, and the greenhouse effect on common plastic film. Mazali warns that current testing standards often underestimate this threat. “Many labs use warm rooms to simulate time and temperature, but they’re not really representative. The sun’s energy is 10 times more stressful to heat a product than exposure to ambient air.”
The results for pharmaceuticals are significant. Runway exposure takes valuable time to stabilize temperatures, effectively speeding up the spoilage of sensitive products. “When the payload is exposed to heat during the run, it takes time to stabilize the temperature and accelerates the time in the heat retention hours,” confirms Luisa Ceruto, Global Marketing Manager at Cold Chain Technologies.
Important gaps
In addition to ramps, other major risk areas include dock and loading areas, yards and customs. Boxes are often placed on forklifts while paperwork is being processed or left in trucks with the engines turned off, causing temperatures to rise rapidly. In “zero point” racking in warehouses, pallets can be exposed to ambient temperature before reaching the cold room. Even a short customs or X-ray delay – usually 2 hours – can extend to 24 hours during holidays or system outages.
“The recommended practice is not to leave cargo on the ramp for more than five minutes,” explains Ceruto. “The reality in Latin America is closer to the two-and-a-half to three-hour average, and we’ve seen delays of up to 12 hours.”
Addressing these challenges requires streamlined processes, standard operating procedures, and extensive collaboration among stakeholders. Technological solutions such as thermal blankets and data loggers also provide additional protection and critical visibility.
The solution is in Sao Paulo
While many Latin American airports are still building cold chain infrastructure, some are starting to develop standards. For example, the GRU airport in São Paulo handles about 21,000 tons of cargo per day, 30 percent of which is classified as pharmaceuticals.
“GRU has invested in certifications such as CEIV Pharma, continuous process improvement, automated systems, temperature variation alerts, and more stringent receiving, warehousing and shipping SLAs,” Mazali points out. These measures are designed to reduce heat and improve operational efficiency.
Real-time tracking plays an important role. “By providing continuous monitoring of the field and temperature conditions, it allows all parties involved to detect problems as they occur rather than when they actually occur,” Mazali explains. Quick decisions can then be made to reroute shipments, adjust inventory or notify response teams, protecting product quality and reducing waste.
Innovations in thermal protection
Advanced thermal blankets are gaining momentum across the region. Cold Chain Technologies evaluated 18 thermal coatings using slip exposure tests and environmental chamber simulations. “Even a basic thermal wrap can extend heat protection for a few extra hours,” says Cerveto.
Interestingly, performance is not always related to thickness. “Most blankets use the basic principle of insulation – the thicker, the more protection. The exception is the CCT blanket, which protects against radiation rather than air temperature. It shows the risks posed by solar radiation rather than ambient air.”
Lessons learned
Previous failures indicate the need for more stringent monitoring. Mazzali loads an unknown shipment of biotechnology from Germany: due to recycled packaging and mislabeled temperature requirements, the 2-8 degree Celsius shipment was mishandled, resulting in a total loss. “We are now prioritizing testing the temperature between the package and the system and fixing the issue within the maximum SLA of one to two hours,” he says.
Effective collaboration between shippers, airlines, ground handlers and suppliers is critical. “Organize and simplify processes! By promoting best practices and streamlining processes, partners can improve communication, reduce delays, and deliver higher levels of service,” asserts Mazali.
As Brazil emerges as a major pharmaceutical export hub, stakeholders are adapting to international compliance standards. Some companies are now investing in competent packaging and certified thermal blankets, while regulatory agencies such as ANVISA must monitor and legislate.
Looking to the future, Saruto emphasizes education and information sharing. “Operations are only as good as their weakest link, so there must be a coordinated approach between airlines, airports, customs authorities, third-party service companies and solution providers such as Cold Chain Technologies.”
Strengthening the cold chain in Latin America is an urgent issue. As Serveto concludes, “By understanding vulnerabilities, leveraging technology, and increasing collaboration, the region can reduce triage wait times, protect patient safety, and create a resilient drug supply chain.”
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