The Perishable Center Frankfurt has announced its has been awarded the IATA CEIV Pharma certification
making it the first ‘neutral’ logistics service provider at Frankfurt Airport. As well as products such as fish, meat, fruit, vegetables and flowers, the Perishable Center Frankfurt (PCF), Europe’s largest airfreight centre for temperature-controlled logistics, also handles pharmaceutical products.
The certification of PCF according to the specifications of the EU Guideline Good Distribution Practice at the beginning of 2015, which comprises the handling of goods and the provision of active and passive temperature-controlled pharmaceutical products for further transport, is proof that the Perishable Center is a reliable partner in the supply chain of the health system, the PCF said.
In order to continue to satisfy the adaptation to existing market requirements and the international quality standards in the pharma airfreight sector, the PCF considers itself obligated to work in accordance with the most up-to-date quality standards in order to provide a better application in the airfreight industry.
The CEIV Pharma certification occurred through the IATA Center of Excellence for Independent Validators. “Health is man’s most valuable possession. We are aware of this responsibility and have successfully met the highest standard in the handling of frequently vital medication.
“We are proud to continue to provide our customers with first class handling of pharmaceutical products at the highest standard with this certification. This certificate once again underlines our qualifications and expertise and we are pleased to continue being of service as a reliable partner in the logistics chain”, emphasised managing director Rainer Wittenfeld.
The transport and handling of sensitive pharmaceutical products provides several challenges for airfreight. The pharma certification program CEIV of IATA establishes an international standard under consideration of infrastructure improvements, employee training as well as control standards and, in this context, accentuates airfreight as the preferred means of transport for pharmaceutical products.
As a neutral and specialised airfreight handling enterprise, Perishable Center GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG at Frankfurt Airport moves temperature-controlled products at the Frankfurt Airport 24/365 days. Throughout the year, the Perishable Center handles approx. 120,000 tonnes of airfreight and works intensively with processing authorities, airliners and forwarders on site.
At ambient temperatures from -25 °C to +25 °C, the high quality products such as fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, flowers and pharmaceuticals are processed quickly and reliably. The products are moved from the aircraft directly into one of 20 different temperature zones of the PCF with more than 9,000 m² of storage space. Due to the direct connection to airport ramp and road as well as efficient goods processing, the throughput of perishables is assured within a very short period of time.
