Another look at sanitary surveillance of products in Brazil: The sanitary control legislation of imports in focus

Abstract

This article focuses on the regulation adopted by Brazil in relation to health inspection of imports of goods under sanitary surveillance. The study incorporated the political, technical, economic and institutional aspects involved in the sanitary control of imports. Noteworthy is also the identification of actors relevant in the formulation and implementation of standards. In this perspective, we performed singular study of all norms published between 1996 and 2013 edited from the former Health Surveillance Secretariat to the National Sanitary Surveillance Agency (Anvisa). As a result, five standards were selected for analysis as well as its subsequent amendments, featuring a qualitative exploratory study based on thematic content analysis. The examination of this material allowed to draw a trajectory of sanitary control of imports, which unfolded from the analysis of standards, allowing highlight the conditions for changes in regulations and the effects of such changes. It was observed that both the elaboration and later developments of norms were influenced by political and economic changes observed in the country and the world, suffering the determination of international organizations and intra and extra-institutional actors, which led to restrictions in the health control products imported. The study allowed a better understanding of the practice of sanitary surveillance in the import scope.