A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) and a greedy heuristic were developed to solve a real planning problem in a complex two-echelon distribution network with capacity constraints, multi-sourcing and lot-sizing for perishable products. The heuristic is an alternative to the mixed integer linear program to quickly solve some large instances taking into account original and difficult constraints. For some instances the gap between the solution provided by the solver (MILP) and the heuristic becomes quite significant. A variable neighborhood descent (VND) procedure has been implemented to improve the quality of heuristic solutions.