Delegations from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay shared information on their national food safety systems and maximum residue limits, with a focus on export chains to the EU.
Representatives from eight Latin American countries met in Madrid from May 18 to 22, 2026, to review the official control systems, risk assessments, and maximum residue limits (MRLs) applicable to food of animal origin destined for the European Union. The event was organized by the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) with financial support from the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF).
This exchange is particularly important for the regional swine industry as several of the participating countries consider the European Union one of their primary export markets, where testing for biological and pharmaceutical residues is a key requirement for market access. Non-compliance with MRLs is a recurring cause of product rejections at the border and suspensions of sanitary approvals.
During the conference, each delegation presented an overview of its national food safety system, the agencies responsible for inspections, and the measures taken to comply with EU requirements. The agenda included sessions on risk assessment, interagency coordination, border controls, and sanitary alert mechanisms in place in Spain and the European Union.
As part of the practical agenda, participants visited the Regional Public Health Laboratory of the Community of Madrid and the Border Control Point at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, where they gained firsthand insight into the inspection procedures applied to goods entering the EU. The event coincided with the conference marking AESAN's 25th anniversary, which focused on science, cooperation, and food risk management.
The Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed the first outbreak of African swine fever in pigs in Poland in 2026. The disease was detected at a farm with 21,390 pigs in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship.
The Chief Veterinary Officer announced the first outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in pigs in Poland in 2026. The laboratory test results were confirmed on May 18, 2026, by the National Veterinary Institute – National Research Institute in Puławy.
ASF outbreak No. 2026/1 was identified on a farm with 21,390 pigs, located in the village of Jarosławsko, Pełczyce municipality, Choszczno county, West Pomeranian Province. The farm is located in an area subject to Restriction Zone II in accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/594.
The Veterinary Inspectorate has implemented measures to eradicate the disease, including the culling and disposal of pigs, the cleaning and disinfection of the farm, the conduct of an epidemiological investigation, and the designation of infected and at-risk zones within a 10-kilometer radius of the outbreak.
USDA data showed U.S. pork production reached the highest April level on record in 2026.
Pork production totaled 2.35 billion pounds (1,064,580 metric tons), up slightly from the previous year and the highest April production on record. Hog slaughter totaled 10.7 million head, down 1% from April 2025. The average live weight was up 2 pounds (0.9 kg) from the previous year, at 293 pounds (133 kg).
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