Mycotoxins contaminated feed

Certain types of molds can produce mycotoxin. A. flavus and A. parasiticus, under favorable conditions of temperature and humidity, can produce aflatoxins. Produces that are commonly contaminated with aflatoxins are groundnut, maize, chili, spices, and cottonseed (Cotty and Jaime-Garcia, 2007 Kumar et al., 2008). Mycotoxins can also occur in milk and milk products as a result of animals consuming mycotoxin-contaminated feed (Moss, 2002 Cotty and Jaime-Garcia, 2007). P. expansum, causing blue mold rot, can produce toxin called patulin (Barkai-Golan and Paster, 2008 Kumar et al., 2008). 

Fusarium moniliforme sya verticillioides causes the so-called ear rot disease in maize and produces fumonisin B, (IB,), one of the most frequently detected mycotoxins in the food supply chain worldwide (Steyn, 1995). FBi can inhibit lipid formation, particularly in the liver. Fumonisins have been detected and investigated only relatively recently. Several structurally related forms of fumonisins (FBS) have been associated with human cancer (e.g. FB with oesophageal cancer) as well as with a host of problems in livestock fed with FB -contaminated feed (D Mello, 2003 Benbrook, 2005). 

In general, mycotoxin contamination of foods and feeds and the associated problems are primarily influenced by the location of production, storage, and marketing. The Aspergillus species that produce mycotoxins are more common in the warmer, subtropical and tropical areas than in the temperate areas of the world. However, stringent government regulations for mycotoxins and risk analyses are more common in temperate areas than in the warmer areas of the world, where it becomes both a health and a financial problem. 

Table 11.2 Probable routes for mycotoxin contamination of foods and feeds...

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

Placinta, C.M., D Mello, J.P.F., and Macdonald, A.M.C. 1999. A review of worldwide contamination of cereal grains and animal feed with Fusarium mycotoxins. Animal Feed Sci Technol 78(1) 21-37. 

The economic implications of the mycotoxin problem and its potential health threat to humans have clearly created a need to eliminate or at least minimize mycotoxin contamination of food and feed. While an association between mycotoxin contamination and inadequate storage conditions has long been recognized, studies have revealed that seeds are contaminated with mycotoxins prior to harvest [185]. Therefore, management of mycotoxin contamination in commodities must include both pre- and postharvest control measures. 

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). 

With the exception of mycotoxins examined for military use, the bulk of research with animals has focused on the ingestion route given the potential for contaminated feed and fodder. The World Health Organization has investigated and sought control of mycotoxin exposure to humans. 

Mycotoxicoses are common problems for the poultry industry in warm moist climates and in developing countries in the tropics. Aflatoxins are the most commonly involved mycotoxins. Poultry are normally exposed by consumption of contaminated feed, especially corn. Some developing countries lack the resources to adequately screen contaminated corn. In other instances poultry feed is made from the poor-quality (and contaminated) corn that has been rejected for human consumption. 

Bhat, R.V. and Vasanthi, S. 1999. Mycotoxin contamination of foods and feeds. Overview, occurrence and economic impact on food availability, trade, exposure of farm animals and related economic losses. ftp //ftp.fao.org/es/esn/food/myco4a.pdfMay, 13, 2004. 

An alternative approach is to attempt to reduce the absorption of aflatoxins from contaminated feed in animals. This may been achieved by the addition of inorganic sorbant materials such as sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS) in the diet of animals. HSCAS tightly binds aflatoxins in the gastrointestinal tracts of animals, preventing their absorption into the body so that they are passed out unabsorbed in the faeces. This results in a major reduction in the body burden (i.e. exposure) of the animals to the mycotoxin. 

Rodricks, J. V., and Stoloff, L. (1977). Aflatoxin residues from contaminated feed in edible tissues of food producing animals. In Mycotoxins in Human and Animal Health (J. V. Rodricks, C. W. Hesseltine, and M. A. Mehiman, eds.), pp. 67-79. Pathotox Publ. Park Forest South, IL. 

McEvoy " reviewed the legislative framework controlling the use of veterinary medicines and zootechnical feed additives in the EU. From a contamination perspective, problem compounds include sulfonamides, tetracyclines, nitroimidazoles, nitrofurans, ionophore coccidiostats, and nicarbazin. The literature on each of these was reviewed and examples of interventions to minimize contamination were given. Examples of contaminants include naturally occurring and synthetic toxic enviromnental compounds (e.g. mycotoxins and dioxins) that may contaminate feed raw materials. Zootechnical feed additives and veterinary medicines may also contaminate unmedicated feeding stuffs due to carry over during feed production. Contaminated feed can cause deleterious health effects in the animals and, through secondary exposure of consumers to products derived from these animals, may be harmful to people. 

JELINEK, C.F., POHLAND, A.E., WOOD, G.E., Review of mycotoxin contamination worldwide occurrence of mycotoxins in foods and feeds-an update, J. Assoc. Off. Anal. Chem., 1989, 72, 223-230. 

Kabak, B., A.D.W. Dobson, and 1. Var. 2006. Strategies to prevent mycotoxin contamination of food and animal feed A review. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 46(8) 593-619. 

Rena, Y., Zhang, Y, Shao, S., Cai, Z., Feng, L., Pan, H., and Wang, Z. 2007. Simultaneous determination of multi-component mycotoxin contaminants in foods and feeds by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. J. Chromatogr. A 1143 48-64. 

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