4th Edition

LARAS
BRAZIL 2026

LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN
RISK ASSESSMENT SYMPOSIUM

WHEN: June 30th to July 3rd, 2026

WHERE: UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Register Now View Program

Welcome

Welcome to LARAS 2026 - The 4th Latin American and Caribbean Risk Assessment Symposium

It is with great enthusiasm that we announce the 4th Latin American and Caribbean Risk Assessment Symposium (LARAS)! Over the last years, LARAS has become one of the most important forums for discussion and knowledge exchange in the field of Risk Analysis for food safety across Latin America and the Caribbean.


The 2026 edition will take place from June 30 to July 3 at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil, under the central theme “Food Safety Based on Science” — the very foundation of Risk Analysis.


Risk analysis in the food sector brings together diverse stakeholders — from regulation, research, and production to consumption. In this broad and dynamic context, open communication among all parties is essential to ensure both safety and trust. Guided by this principle, LARAS stands as a bridge, fostering dialogue, collaboration, and shared progress to strengthen food safety in our region.


More than just a scientific meeting, LARAS is a unique opportunity to recognize the similarities and differences among countries, understand the challenges faced, and learn from the strategies developed throughout the region. This international exchange enriches the science of Risk Analysis and inspires new initiatives, strategic partnerships, and collaborative solutions among experts.


In this edition, we reaffirm our tradition of quality, scientific excellence, and cooperation, working to advance knowledge and promote innovation in food risk assessment.


We warmly invite you to join us for this inspiring event and to be part of building a future in which Risk Analysis serves as the cornerstone of actions that ensure safe food for all.

Committees

Organizing Committee

Flávia Beatriz Custódio

UFMG, Brazil

LĂ­gia Lindner Schreiner

ANVISA, Brazil

Leiliane Coelho André

UFMG, Brazil

Maria Aparecida Vieira Teixeira Garcia

UFMG, Brazil

Maria José Nunes de Paiva

UFMG, Brazil

PatrĂ­cia Diniz Andrade

UnB, Brazil

Ana Cristina Briones Rodriguez

UCR, Costa Rica

Scientific Committee

VerĂ´nica Ortiz Alvarenga

UFMG, Brazil

Larissa Bertollo Gomes Porto

ANVISA, Brazil

Adriana Pavesi Arisseto Bragotto

UNICAMP, Brazil

Anderson de Souza Sant’Ana

UNICAMP, Brazil

EloĂ­sa Dutra Caldas

UnB, Brazil

Alejandra de JesĂşs Cantoral Preciado

IBERO, Mexico

ArĂ­cia Mara Melo Possas

UCO, Spain

Constanza De Matteu Monteiro

DTU, Denmark

Eliseu Verly Junior

UERJ, Brazil

Liliana de Oliveira Rocha

UNICAMP, Brazil

Marta Hiromi Taniwaki

ITAL, Brazil

Sara Monteiro Pires

DTU, Denmark

Speakers

Adriana Pavesi Arisseto Bragotto

UNICAMP, Brazil

Adriana Torres de Sousa

ANVISA, Brazil

Alejandra de JesĂşs Cantoral Preciado

IBERO, Mexico

Ana Cristina Briones

UCR, Costa Rica

André Luís de Sousa dos Santos

PANAFTOSA/OPS, Brasil

ArĂ­cia Mara Melo Possas

UCO, Spain

Cláudio Canales

BfR, Germany

Bettina Dabrowski-de-Flores

BfR, Germany

Constanza De Matteu Monteiro

DTU, Denmark

Constanza Paz Avello Lefno

ACHIPIA, Chile

Denise Bloch

ILMERAC - BfR, Germany

Diogo Thimoteo da Cunha

UNICAMP, Brazil

Eliseu Verly JĂşnior

UERJ, Brazil

Frederic MĂĽller

BfR, Germany

José Vicente Tarazona Lafarga

USCIII, Spain

Juliana de Oliveira Mota

WHO, Switzerland

Leopoldo del Barrio Reyna

FAO/RLC, Chile

LĂ­gia Lindner Schreiner

ANVISA, Brazil

Liliana de Oliveira Rocha

UNICAMP, Brazil

Lissette Marroquin

OIRSA, Dominican Republic

Luc Ingenbleek

WHO, Switzerland

Lucas Guerra

ABICAB, Brazil

Marciane Magnani

UFPB, Brazil

Maria Beatriz Abreu GlĂłria

UFMG, Brazil

Marta Hiromi Taniwaki

ITAL, Brazil

Matthias Filter

BfR, Germany

RaĂşl Peralta

OIRSA, Dominican Republic

Sara Monteiro Pires

DTU, Denmark

Umida Masharipova

ILMERAC - BfR, Germany

Program

Day 1 – Tuesday June 30th

  • 8:00 - 18:00: Welcome, Registration and Introductions
  • 8:30: Mini-course 1: Risks and Benefits Assessment of Food Consumption — Juliana de Oliveira Mota (WHO, Switzerland); Sara Monteiro Pires (DTU, Denmark); Constanza de Matteu Monteiro (DTU, Denmark); Flávia CustĂłdio (UFMG, Brazil); AndrĂ© Sousa (PAHO, Brazil); LĂ­gia Schreiner (ANVISA, Brazil)
  • 12:00: Lunch time (self-arranged)
  • 13:30: Opening Ceremony
  • 14:10: Application of Al in risk assessment: examples and upcoming opportunities — Matthias Filter (BfR, Germany)
  • 14:50: Risk-benefit assessment of foods and diets: developments and perspectives — Sara Monteiro Pires (DTU, Denmark)
  • 15:30: Integrating Antimicrobial Resistance into Microbial Risk Assessment: The QARMA Framework — ArĂ­cia Mara Possas (UCO, Spain)
  • 16:10: Coffee break and posters exposition
  • 16:40: Round table - Regional and Multilateral Collaboration — AndrĂ© Luis de Sousa dos Santos (PANAFTOSA/PAHO, Brazil); Bettina Dabrowski-de-Flores (BfR, Germany); Leopoldo del Barrio Reyna (FAO/RLC, Chile); Umida Masharipova (ILMERAC/BfR, Germany); RaĂşl Peralta (OIRSA, Dominican Republic)
  • 18:30: Welcome reception

Day 2 – Wednesday, July 1st

  • 8:00 - 18:00: Welcome, Registration and Introductions
  • 8:30: Mini-course 2: Regional Needs and Opportunities for Risk Assessment Cooperation in Latin America — Bettina Dabrowski-de-Flores (BfR, Germany); Umida Masharipova (ILMERAC/BfR, Germany)
  • 12:00: Lunch time (self-arranged)
  • 13:30: New Approach Methods (NAMs) in Next- Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA) — JosĂ© Vicente Tarazona Lafarga (ISCIII, Spain)
  • 14:10: Use of national food consumption databases for risk assessment — Eliseu Verly JĂşnior (UERJ, Brazil)
  • 14:50: A digital tool, developed by OIRSA, for probabilistic analysis of food exposure to chemical contaminants — RaĂşl Peralta (OIRSA, Dominican Republic); Lissette Marroquin (OIRSA)
  • 15:30: Risk assessment of substances formed during food processing — Adriana Pavesi A. Bragotto (UNICAMP, Brazil)
  • 16:10: Coffee break and posters exposition
  • 16:40: The Art of Storytelling: Using Comics as a Risk Communication Strategy. Effects and Results — Cláudio Canales (BfR, Germany)
  • 17:20: Round table - Mycotoxins — Marta Hiromi Taniwaki (ITAL, Brazil); Liliana O. Rocha (UNICAMP, Brazil); LĂ­gia L. Schreiner (ANVISA, Brazil); Lucas Guerra (Abicab, Brazil)

Day 3 – Thursday, July 2nd

  • 8:00 - 18:00: Welcome, Registration and Introductions
  • 8:30: Mini-course 3: How to develop a risk communication strategy — Cláudio Canales (BfR, Germany); Frederic MĂĽller (BfR, Germany)
  • 12:00: Lunch time (self-arranged)
  • 13:30: How ILMERAC drives the global implementation of NAMs - key activities and collaborations — Denise Bloch (ILMERAC/BfR, Germany)
  • 14:10: Integrating methods to assess the impacts of regulation on food consumption and health — Constanza de Matteu Monteiro (DTU, Denmark)
  • 14:50: Update to document EHC 240 — Juliana de Oliveira Mota (WHO, Switzerland)
  • 15:30: Microbiological risk assessment of viruses in foods: food attribution, analytical methods and indicators — Marciane Magnani (UFPB, Brazil)
  • 16:10: Coffee break and posters exposition
  • 16:40: Food Safety Management in Dark Kitchens: What Lies Behind Informality — Diogo Thimoteo da Cunha (UNICAMP, Brazil)
  • 17:20: Metals exposure from baby food in Mexico — Alejandra Cantoral Preciado (Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico)

Day 4 – Friday, July 3rd

  • 8:00 - 18:00: Welcome and Introductions
  • 8:30: Mini-course 4: Risk communication plan: key elements — Cláudio Canales (BfR, Germany); Frederic MĂĽller (BfR, Germany)
  • 12:00: Lunch time (self-arranged)
  • 13:30: The WHO GEMS/Food Database: Challenges and Opportunities — Luc Ingenbleek (WHO, Switzerland) - virtual
  • 14:10: From Biomodels to Risk: How Toxicological Data Are Generated — Ana Cristina Briones (UCR, Costa Rica)
  • 14:50: From risk assessment to risk communication: lessons learned and progress of the Chilean Agency for Food Safety and Quality (ACHIPIA) — Constanza Avello Lefno (ACHIPIA, Chile)
  • 15:30: Coffee break
  • 16:00: Risk assessment of pesticide — Adriana Torres de Sousa (ANVISA, Brazil)
  • 16:40: Bioactive amines in food — Maria Beatriz Abreu GlĂłria (UFMG, Brazil)
  • 17:20: Infographics presentation and announcement of the Award of the Infographic Contest
  • 17:30: Presentation of the Award of the Best Posters — Alejandra Cantoral Preciado; VerĂ´nica Ortiz Alvarenga
  • 17:45: Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts

Registration

Secure your spot

The symposium is intended for professionals, researchers, and academics engaged in food safety issues in Latin America and the Caribbean, representing government, academic, and industry sectors. Applications for participation in LARAS 2026 will be accepted until June 29, 2026, or until all available places have been filled. Early submission is strongly recommended, as places are limited.


Go to Registration Form

Abstracts and posters

Attention to deadlines

General Guidelines

Abstract submissions must be made online, in the registrant area on the event's official website. Each registration entitles the submission of one paper as the main author.

Abstracts of scientific papers may be registered, strictly observing the rules of this regulation, referring to the areas below:

  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Management
  • Risk Communication
Abstract template and guidelines

Guide for poster presentations

The poster's content should be clear and concise.

The authors are responsible for creating and printing the posters in the format indicated in the template (Recommended size: H: 0.90 m x W: 0.70 m, vertical format). Each work will have a specific day and time for setup and presentation, which will be announced in advance by the Scientific Committee.

The presenting author must be available at the poster on the date and time indicated throughout the entire session. An evaluation committee will be established by the Scientific Committee to assess the submissions.

Guidelines Posters template (Canva) Posters template (PPTX)

Contest

LARAS 2026 Infographic Contest

Topic: Microplastics: A One Health Approach

Infographics are a powerful and dynamic platform for presenting complex information in a visually captivating, clear, and creative manner. This year’s contest invites participants to explore microplastics and their impact on human, animal, and environmental health through a One Health perspective.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT YOUR INFOGRAPHIC: May 25, 2026 - Extend

Infographics must be original creations; no copyrighted images may be used. Participants must certify and warrant that the submitted infographic does not violate the rights of third parties or any copyrights.

Format & Judging Criteria Submit Infographic

Location

Note on Accommodation

The hotels listed are not affiliated with LARAS 2026. They are provided solely for convenience. Organizers do not guarantee the quality of services. Attendees are encouraged to verify details independently.

Recommended Accommodation

Immigration Requirements

  • Valid passport (min. 6 months) with one blank page.
  • Latin American and EU citizens do not need a visa.
  • U.S. citizens must apply for an e-visa before traveling.
  • Proof of accommodation, funds, and return ticket required.

For the most accurate and up-to-date information, visit the official website of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

Official Ministry Website

Touristic Suggestion

Check out our practical guide for visitors:
Practical Guide (PDF)

In Belo Horizonte:

Close to Belo Horizonte:

Organizers

Supporters

Contact

Venue Address

Auditorium of the Faculty of Pharmacy
Campus Pampulha - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)
Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais - Brazil

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