"If ASF entered parts of Denmark it could cause a complete shutdown of pig production and processing activities in the affected area," said Mr Sondergaard.

Around 13 million pigs currently leave Denmark each year which equates to roughly 50 truckloads a day and many of these trucks enter countries or areas where ASF is present.

Denmark is therefore investing heavily in biosecurity, with 15-18 million DKK being spent on truck washing.

To monitor the trucks' contact with ASF infected areas, countries or specific areas with ASF outbreaks are listed as black zones.

"When trucks return from these areas they are thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and quarantined for seven days, meaning they cannot visit any other farms during this time," Mr Sondergaard explained.

There will be more coverage from the congress published in the next week.

In other news, research conducted at the University of Illinois, US, has found that a new source of soy protein concentrate can be used in weanling pig diets without negatively affecting digestibility of energy or nutrients.

“Soy protein concentrate is typically produced by using an alcohol extraction process to remove soluble carbohydrates from soybean meal," said Hans H Stein, professor of animal sciences at the University of Illinois.

"However, a new soy protein concentrate has been developed which combines a non-alcohol extraction process with enzymatic treatment of soybean meal."

The soy protein concentrate contained 61.2 per cent crude protein compared with approximately 47.7 per cent for dehulled soybean meal. The standardised ileal digestibility (SID) of isoleucine and leucine and some dispensable amino acids was greater in soy protein concentrate compared with soybean meal, but for crude protein and most amino acids, no difference between soy protein concentrate and soybean meal was observed.

Soy protein concentrate contained 3,479 kcal/kg digestible energy (DE) and 3,299 kcal/kg metabolisable energy, compared with 3,319 and 3,093, respectively, in soybean meal.

Removal of oligosaccharides, which weanling pigs cannot digest, and other soluble carbohydrates from soybean meal resulted in greater concentration of crude protein, which is likely the reason for the greater concentration of digestible energy in the soy protein concentrate.