Feedstuffs, contaminated

The history of incidents clearly shows that feedstuffs contaminated with POCs have caused remarkable economic loss. If the feedstuffs have a wide distribution, the economic impacts can be great. For example, with the ball clay incident, it was estimated that 1.7 million eggs/day and 35% of the catfish were contaminated with PCDDs/DFs (Hayward et al, 1999). Animal-souree foodstuffs eontaminated with PCDDs/DFs were consumed by humans (Fiedler et al, 1997 Rappe et al, 1998). The polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) retardant ineident in Miehigan eontaminated feedstuffs and large numbers of livestoek and poultry were destroyed (Fries, 1985). More than 400 upright silos were eoated with a polyehlorinated biphenyl (PCB) eontaining resin (Willett et al, 1987). Subsequently, milk was eontaminated with PCBs. 

Historically, occurrences of feedstuffs becoming contaminated in transport vessels were primarily because of the failure to clean the vessels after use. Increasing energy costs most likely will discourage dedicated use of transportation vessels for feedstuffs. Contamination of transport vessels could be a terrorist activity. Likely chemicals would be pesticides, POPs, heavy metals, and cyanide salts. Contamination of transport vessels used for ingredients such as salt and mineral would ensure wide dissemination. 

Somers, J.D., M.W. Barrett, and A.A. Khan. 1991. Simulated field ingestion of carbofuran-contaminated feedstuffs by pheasants. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 47 521-528. 

In 1991, a survey of the swine sector in Italy noted a relatively high contamination of feedstuffs with veterinary drugs. The contamination concerned more than two-thirds of the controlled industrial animal feed producers (21). Not declared drugs, principally carbadox, olaquindox, and sulfamethazine, were found in 29 of 193 feed samples (15%) collected from 10 different feed producers. For some of these feeds, the relatively high drug levels could caused appearance of residues in the urine of the live swine and further in the offal taken from slaughterhouses. Positive findings in both urine and offal accounted for 10 of the 520 samples analyzed. 

In 1992, the situation improved markedly owing to the activity of involvement, information, and pressure made on farmers and feed producers on the residue problem. In spite of the higher number of analyzed samples both at the farm and slaughterhouse levels, feed contamination showed a value of only 4.4%. The contaminated feeds contained carbadox and sulfamethazine and originated from four different feedstuffs industries out of 9 totally examined. The concentrations recorded on positive samples were in the range 0.5-28 ppm, while in 1991 the levels ranged from 0.05 to 88 ppm. 

Unfortunately for the would-be consumer of food, fungal contamination is not always immediately apparent and thus may not seem to be cause either for the rejection of food by humans or for the rejection of feedstuffs by livestock. Concentrations of mold organisms are not always easy to... 

Other countries have similar regulations. Limits have also been set on aflatoxin contamination, because of its connection with liver cancer. The FDA guidelines in the USA allow no more than 20 pg/kg aflatoxin in animal feeds. The EU regulation (SI No 283,1998) sets limits between 5 and 50 pg/kg (ppb) for aflatoxin B1 in animal feedstuffs, depending on the feed ingredient and the animal for which the feedstuff is intended. The limit for a complete feedstuff for poultry and pigs was set at 20 pg/kg (ppb). 

Pasteiner, S. (1997) Coping with mycotoxin contaminated feedstuffs. Feed International May, 12-16. 

With the emergence of the BSE crisis, first in Europe and later in other parts of the world, authorities have taken a lot of legal decisions in order to assure the human safety. One of them is the partial or total ban of the use of animal protein in compound feed. Originally, classical microscopy was the only method available for the fight against fraud or accidental contaminations of feedstuffs with meat... 

Potential Agents that Can Cause Contamination of Animal Feedstuffs and Terror... 

Mycotoxin contaminated feedstuffs could be purchased and used as a terrorist tactic in manufacture of a completed feed. For example, horse or swine feeds could be formulated to contain a high level of screenings which are known to contain mycotoxins. Field incidences of mycotoxicoses not finked to terrorist activities fiave been reported from the use of fumonisin contaminated screenings in formulating horse and swine feeds (Wilson et al, 1990 Osweiler et al, 1992). 

Food-producing animals can ingest mycotoxin contaminated feedstuffs and mycotoxin residues can be present in edible animal products. The concern for residues of mycotoxins in edible animal products has primarily been focused on residues of aflatoxins (Coppock and Christian, 2007). Residues of some mycotoxins in animal products can be... 

Botulism toxins can be produced and incorporated into ingredients used in feedstuffs. The use of dead rodents or other animals can serve as a substrate for Clostridium botulinum, providing anaerobic conditions. Contamination of feedstuffs with the carcasses of dead mice or other small animals could be a method of disseminating botulism toxins. For further details of botuhsm toxins, readers are referred to in Chapter 30. 

Large numbers of cattle and other domestic livestock have been poisoned with insecticides that were inadvertently incorporated into feedstuffs. There have been instances where the same transport vessels have been used to trans-port/store insecticides, seeding crops, and silage, resulting in cross-contamination. Insecticides eould be used by terrorists to adulterate animal feedstuffs. The toxicology and... 

Human populations have been exposed to POPs by consuming contaminated animal-source foodstuffs. The incidents have shown that feedstuffs can be contaminated by toxic substances that resembled mineral supplements, and mineral and fat supplements are vehicles for POPs. Contamination of feedstuffs also caused dissemination of POPs in the agro-ecosystem. Past experiences have shown that delays can occur before the contamination is recognized. 

There are several incidents of heavy metal intoxication and contamination of livestock feedstuffs. The source of the heavy metals was from smelters being deposited on forage or heavy metals as contaminants being incorporated into feedstuffs (Curley et al, 1971 Rice et al, 1987 Coppock et al, 1988 Galey et al, 1990 Swarup et al, 2005). The risk for translocation of lead to milk appears to increase with blood lead levels above 0.20 pg/ml. Human poisoning has occurred when meat from pigs fed methyl mercury was consumed. 

Coppock, R.W. (2009). Potential agents that can cause contamination of animal feedstuffs and terror. In Handbook of Toxicology of Chemical Warfare Agents (R.C. Gupta, ed.), pp. 739 5. Academic Press/Elsevier, New York. Cunningham, S.A. (2005). Incident, accident, catastrophe cyanide on the Danube. Disasters 29 99-128. 

Consistent performance in today s feed conversion-animal production industries requires consistent feedstuffs. In addition to providing products free of chick edema factors, pesticides, herbicides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other hazardous contaminants, the tallow and grease supplier is expected to deliver products with increasingly consistent fatty acid profiles. This requires appropriate... 

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