[Veterinary herd health management in swine production]

The paper describes the current tendencies in the field of pork production since the EU single market has come into being. The challenges to the veterinary profession resulting from them are the development of quality assurance systems through the whole production chain and the idea of the Alternative Veterinary Mandatory Alternative Meat Inspection System. The "new" veterinary activities to meet the growing demands are explained with special regard to slaughter checks, preventive veterinary consultation and future herd health management.