Transporting perishable goods requires meeting specific requirements set out in the international ATP agreement. When carrying such products, the carrier must provide the right means of transport and the proper temperature conditions. Every vehicle used for ATP transport must also have the relevant certificate confirming compliance with specific technical standards. Failure to meet this obligation exposes the carrier to severe financial penalties. In this article, we explain what the ATP agreement is, what requirements it sets for refrigerated vehicles, and how to obtain a certificate authorizing the transport of perishable products.
What does ATP mean in transport?
The ATP Convention is an international agreement that regulates the rules for transporting foodstuffs that spoil quickly. The provisions of the agreement also define requirements for vehicles used to transport this type of goods. The convention governing ATP transport was drafted in Geneva in September 1970. The agreement entered into force six years later.
What does the abbreviation ATP mean in transport? It comes from the French name: Accord Relatif aux Transports Internationaux de Denrées Périssable et aux Engins Spéciaux a Utiliser pour ces Transports. The ATP abbreviation can be translated as an agreement on the international carriage of perishable foodstuffs and the special equipment used for such transport.
Which products does the ATP agreement cover?
Perishable products fall under the provisions of the ATP agreement. Transporting this type of goods requires providing appropriate thermal conditions. Which goods are considered perishable under ATP regulations? They include, for example, frozen food products. Importantly, each product category requires transport temperature conditions specified in the ATP convention. Frozen perishable goods include, among others:
- Frozen creams, e.g., ice cream – for this product, ATP transport requires a temperature of at least –20°C.
- Fish, fish products, molluscs and crustaceans, frozen (or deep-frozen or quick-frozen), and all other deep-frozen food products require a temperature of –18°C.
- All frozen food products except butter are ATP goods that must be carried at a temperature not higher than –12°C.
- Frozen butter and concentrated fruit juice are ATP products that require a transport temperature of –10°C
Which products are classified as perishable loads? They include chilled food products. Just like frozen perishable goods , chilled goods also require temperature conditions specified in the ATP agreement. Which products fall into this category? The list of ATP goods includes, among others:
- Raw milk, which must not be transported at a temperature above +6°C.
- Red meat and large game (excluding red offal) are, under the ATP convention, perishable goods that should be transported at a temperature not exceeding +7°C.
- Meat products, pasteurized milk, butter, fresh dairy (yogurt, kefir, sour cream, fresh cheese), ready-to-eat cooked food products (meat, fish, vegetables), ready-to-eat prepared raw vegetables and vegetable products, concentrated fruit juice, and fish products not listed in the previous point. All of these perishable products may be transported only at a temperature not exceeding +6°C, or at the temperature indicated in the transport documentation or on the product label.
- Game (other than large game), poultry, and rabbits require a transport temperature not higher than +4°C.
- Red offal is, under the ATP agreement, a product requiring a temperature not higher than +3°C during transport.
- Minced meat is a chilled perishable good that should be transported at a temperature not exceeding +2°C, or under temperature conditions specified in the transport documentation.
- Unprocessed fish, molluscs and crustaceans should be transported on melting ice or at the temperature of melting ice.
Technical requirements for vehicles in ATP transport
Transporting perishable goods requires using appropriate vehicles. Under the ATP convention, the following means of transport are used:
- Isothermal vehicles, i.e., vehicles made with thermal-insulation walls, doors, floor and roof. This type of construction limits heat exchange between the inside of the body and the outside environment.
- Thermally insulated ice-cooled bodies (ice boxes) with a cooling system. This type of body is thermally insulated and uses non-mechanical or non-absorption sources of cooling. These may include natural ice, eutectic plates, dry ice or liquefied gases. Each of these solutions must make it possible to lower the temperature inside the empty body and maintain it at a specified level when the outside temperature is +30°C.
- Thermally insulated refrigerated bodies with a mechanical refrigeration unit. These bodies must be equipped with a refrigeration unit dedicated to one vehicle or shared by several means of transport, such as a mechanical compressor unit, an absorption system, or another refrigeration system. The chosen technology must allow the temperature inside the empty body to be reduced at an average outside temperature of +30°C and then continuously maintained at the required level.
- Heated transport bodies. These include thermally insulated means of transport equipped with a heating system that allows the temperature of the empty body to be raised and then maintained for at least 12 hours at a level not lower than +12°C.
The vehicle bodies listed above, equipped with thermal insulation systems together with the heating/cooling equipment used in them, must be permanently and clearly marked by the manufacturer. Identification plates should be placed in visible and easily accessible locations, on structural elements that are not replaced during operation. Under the ATP agreement, these markings must be readable without tools. For thermally insulated bodies, the manufacturer’s plate should be attached on the outside.
The manufacturer’s plate must permanently and indelibly include the following information:
- Country of manufacture or the letter code used in international road traffic.
- Manufacturer’s name or company name.
- Model (letter, numeric or mixed designation).
- Serial number.
- Month and year of manufacture.
What is an ATP certificate?
An ATP certificate is a document confirming that a vehicle used for transporting perishable products meets all technical requirements specified in the ATP agreement. Transporting goods that spoil quickly using isothermal, refrigerated or heated vehicles requires a valid certificate. For new vehicles, this document is issued for 6 years, but after 3 years a periodic inspection is required. After 6 years from the issue date, a full inspection is mandatory. Based on this, a new ATP certificate is issued.
Who issues an ATP certificate?
To legally carry out ATP transport of perishable goods , you must obtain the relevant certificate for the vehicle. This document is issued only by bodies designated by the authorities of each country that is a party to the ATP convention.
How much does an ATP certificate cost?
It’s difficult to give a precise answer to the question of the fee for issuing an ATP certificate. The cost depends, among other things, on the type, size and manufacturing technology of the tested means of transport.
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