Source: BIOMIN new release
Mycotoxin-related threats to the health and performance of farm animals continue to pose a challenge to the industry, according to the recently released results from the 2018 BIOMIN Mycotoxin Survey.
“Climate change results in extreme weather conditions, making it one of the most influential factors contributing to variations in mycotoxin occurrence around the world”, explained Alexandro Marchioro, Senior Mycotoxin Expert at BIOMIN.
Of the 18,424 finished feed and raw commodity samples sourced from 79 countries, a full 67% of samples contained at least one mycotoxin present in sufficient concentrations to pose a risk to animal health or performance.
“In light of these contamination levels, it is advisable to regularly test feed ingredients and adopt a robust mycotoxin risk management program,” stated Mr. Marchioro.
Main trends
• Average concentrations of fumonisins in corn (maize) are high (2596 parts per billion (ppb)) in 2018.
• In North America, deoxynivalenol is the most prevalent mycotoxin, reaching 67% of the total samples.
• There is significant prevalence of DON and T-2 mycotoxin in cereals in Europe.
Multiple mycotoxin occurrence
A full 70% of samples contained two or more mycotoxins. Multiple mycotoxin contamination of feed presents additional problems, as certain combinations of mycotoxins are known to have synergistic effects that aggravate negative consequences for animals.
“In 2018 we detected a high prevalence of the so-called emerging mycotoxins. This is a hot topic in mycotoxin research at the moment. We need to get more insights on the impact of these substances on animal health, especially the synergistic effect with the commonly found and well known mycotoxins”, observed Mr. Marchioro.
About the survey
The annual BIOMIN Mycotoxin Survey constitutes the longest running and most comprehensive survey of its kind, using advanced analytic tools on around 20,000 samples taken from 79 countries worldwide. The survey results provide insights into the incidence of the six major mycotoxins in the chief agricultural commodities used for livestock feed. Over 81,936 analyses were conducted to identify the presence and potential risk posed to livestock animal production.
