Chile’s Agriculture and Livestock Authority (SAG) announced on Wednesday the suspension of imports of pork and its derivatives from Spain after a state of emergency emerged. African swine fever outbreak In Barcelona.
The institution noted that “Strengthening inspections at Santiago Airport To inspect the luggage of passengers arriving from Europe” and warned that “any pork product of Spanish origin or without a label allowing verification of its origin will be intercepted and destroyed, in order to prevent the entry of dangerous products.”
“As a precaution, Chile will implement a 30-day guarantee period –This is equivalent to two incubation cycles of the virus– from possible history of injury,” SAG noted.
This means that “all shipments of raw materials produced from October 28 onwards will not be able to enter the country until the EU officially determines the corresponding zoning,” he added. Currently, it represents pork products from Spain 2% of total imports Of these goods, according to official figures.
African swine fever is a viral disease that affects Exclusively for pigs and wild boarsWhich is not transmissible to humans and of which Chile remains free. However, SAG added, “Given its high production footprint, eventual entry into the country would represent a significant risk to the national pork industry, one of the major exporters of meat and meat derivatives worldwide.”
The first two cases of swine fever in wild boars were discovered six days ago in the town of Cerdanyola del Valles, Barcelona province, after the country had been free of this disease for 31 years. Since then, more dead wild boars have appeared in that area No cases of the disease were discovered on the farms.