Technical Procedures for Sanitary Inspection of Palm Hearts Producers Based Abroad

I. Documentation Required

1.1 The importing company is responsible for submitting requests for sanitary inspection of the foreign companies concerned and therefore must provide the following documents:

• fully completed form (Annex I);
  
• payment of the appropriate Remittance Voucher (GRVS) of the Brazilian Sanitary Surveillance Agency, which can be downloaded from the ANVISA electronic site.
  
• document signed by the person responsible for the firm to be inspected, confirming authorization that the sanitary inspection can be effected by a Brazilian team.

1. 2 The documentation should be sent by mail, with official proof of receipt, to the following address: Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, Gerência-Geral de Alimentos, SEPN 515, Bloco B, Edifício Ômega, 3rd floor, Brasilia - DF, CEP 70.770-502, Brazil.

1.3 Further details can be obtained from the Office of Inspection and Control of Food Risks by telephoning 448-1085

II - Sanitary Inspection Schedule

2.1 After the relevant documentation has been submitted, examined and approved by the Foods General Office, a draft schedule for the sanitary inspection of the firms concerned will be submitted to the General Office of International Affairs.

2.2 The General Office of International Affairs will send the sanitary inspection schedule to the Sanitary Authority of the country of origin for information and will request joint participation of that sanitary authority in the sanitary inspections to be carried out in the companies of that particular country.

2.3 Once the procedures have been completed by the General Office of International Affairs, the Foods General Office will confirm the dates of the sanitary inspections to be carried out in those firms producing palm hearts. The dates will be agreed with the Sanitary Authority of the country where such producers have their operations.

2.4 Once the schedule has been confirmed, a copy of this will be sent to the importing company . The date arranged for the sanitary inspection will not exceed a period of 60 (sixty) days following approval of the written application for the inspection to take place.

III. Carrying out the Sanitary Inspection

3.1 The team responsible for carrying out the inspection will comprise two (2) members of the technical staff of the Office of Inspection and Control of Food Risks

3.2 The sanitary inspection will be based upon legal norms as apply in Brazil, such as Resolutions RDC 17, 19/11/99 and RDC. 18, 19/11/99, Resolution 326, of 30/07/97, Administrative Rulet MS 1428, dated 26/11/93, among others.

3.3 After completion of the sanitary inspection in the relevant production plant, a technical report will be drawn up containing information regarding the hygiene and sanitary conditions found in the plant and a conclusive recommendation for or against the issuing by the Brazilian Sanitary Surveillance Agency of the Certificate of Good Practice of Production and Control for the Purpose of Authorization for Export of PRESERVED PALM HEART to Brazil. In the event of non-recommendation, the respective company will not be awarded the aforementioned Certificate.

3.4 The final result of the sanitary inspection will be sent by the Office of Inspection and Control of Food Risks to the interested companies and to the General Office of International Affairs. The latter will be responsible for dispatching the result to the sanitary authority of the country of origin.

IV. Issuing the Certificate of Good Practice of Production and Control for the Purpose of Authorization for Export of PRESERVED PALM HEART to Brazil.

4.1 The above mentioned Certificate will be published in the Official Federal Gazette in the form of a Resolution, in accordance with the wording of the following draft text:
The Director responsible for the Office of Foods and Toxicology, in pursuance of the prerogatives conferred upon him by numeral II, item "a" of Article 95 of the Regulations approved by Resolution 1, of April 26, 1999, and taking account of that set forth in Article 7, numeral VIII, of Law 9.782, of January 26,1999, and, the only paragraph of Article 12, of RDC 18, of November 19, 1999, hereby resolves:
Article 1. To Grant a Certificate of Good Practice of Production and Control for the Purpose of Authorization for the Export of PRESERVED PALM HEART to Brazil to (name of company.................................... , headquartered in.........................., in (name of country).

Procedures for inspection of palm heart producer premises abroad

1. The importer (with the approval of the producer) makes contact with GGA/DAT/ANVISA on the appropriate form and pays the relevant fee.

2. The Foods General Office prepares the inspection schedule and submits this to the General Office of International Affairs, which will be responsible for sending it to the sanitary authority of the country of origin for information and possible joint participation in the inspection.

3. The Foods General Office confirms the inspection with the producer company and carries out the inspection within the timeframe agreed with the Sanitary Authority of the country of origin.

4. After completing the inspection, the Foods General Office communicates the result of the same to the General Office of International Affairs of ANVISA and the interested companies, and the General Office of International Affairs informs the Sanitary Authorities of the country of origin of the result.

5.(a) In the event of a satisfactory result, the relevant company will receive a Certificate. (b) In the case of a negative result, the procedure will be terminated and the company will not be awarded a Certificate.

FURTHER DETAILS:

Annexo I

Technical Procedures for Sanitary Inspection of Palm Hearts Producers Based Abroad
Form requesting a sanitary inspection of premises producing preserved palm heart located abroad


Annex II
Instructions for Completion of Brazilian Sanitary Surveillance Agency Remittance Voucher.

Information about the Company's Registration: Company Name; number of CGC or CNPJ; fee basis for the remittance; number of the application, and if available proof of annual turnover, together with other optional details providing further background on the firm making the application.

The fee basis corresponds to item 1.4.1, for Mercosul member countries, and to item 1.4.2, for other countries, in accordance with Annex II - Sanitary Surveillance Inspection Fee, as set forth in Resolution 6, of January 2, 2001.