THE ESSENTIALS
Before you start
- Frozen cargo is not an automatic extension of every goods policy.
- Duration and records may form part of a benefit's requirements.
- Insurance treatment does not decide food safety.
One condition contains a time requirement
Fidelidade CG036 special condition 16 Frozen Products, September 2026, requires temperature variation linked to its specified refrigeration-failure causes to last at least 24 consecutive hours and be evidenced. It also sets starting-temperature, stowage and documentation conditions. This is one contract example, not a universal period for all perishable goods.
Do not confuse three different periods
When preparing the journey, separate transit duration, any equipment-failure duration and the period of recorded temperature variation. They need not coincide. A vehicle stopped for two hours does not establish two hours outside the required temperature range; an on-time arrival does not establish uninterrupted preservation.
Fictional example: a distributor notices a difference between an equipment alert time and the available temperature record. Both are retained, with a technical explanation requested for the documented interval. Missing periods are not completed with an estimate presented as a measurement.
Prepare the information before arranging transit
Identify the product, intended preservation condition, route, transport modes and transhipment operations. Ask which condition applies and what records must accompany the cargo. Establish who collects the data, how it remains accessible and what to do about a recording gap.
Limits and excesses become comparable only after the triggering event is understood. «Temperature controlled» on an invoice does not establish an insurance extension. Keep the accepted conditions and agreed documentary responsibilities.
Events and safety have their own response
If product condition is in doubt, immediately follow competent technical and food-safety guidance; do not wait for an insurance threshold. Preserve evidence through the appropriate channel and follow policy notification procedures. For future protection, request a Transportes quotation from RMACHADO with the cargo description, without assuming any compensation.
KEEP THESE QUESTIONS
Your checklist for the next conversation
- Identify the product and transit condition.
- Separate failure from measured variation.
- Check extensions and evidence requirements.
- Organise collection and retention of records.
- Prioritise competent food-safety guidance.
FROM THE ARTICLE TO YOUR SITUATION
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Sources and transparency
Content updated on .
Consultation dates are stated in individual references when available.
Numerical examples are fictional and explain concepts. Editorial interpretations are identified in the text.
Information from RMACHADO GROUP. This is not an insurance offer or individual advice. Covers, acceptance, exclusions, sums insured and costs depend on the policy. The intermediary does not underwrite the risks.