A survey of mycotoxins in agricultural commodities and feed samples in Europe in 2008 // 25 May 2009
As a part of its mycotoxins risk management program Biomin initiated a survey about the occurrence of major mycotoxins in feedstuffs, sampled in Europe, in the year 2008.
Mycotoxins are different fungal toxins which can contaminate the feed chain. According to the levels of contaminations, mycotoxins can lead to acute mycotoxicoses with severe intoxication or chronic effects like reduced feed intake, immune suppression or impairment of animal reproduction, when ingested. The impact of mycotoxins on animal health and productivity depends on the interactions between the toxin (nature, duration of exposure or level of contamination), the animal (age, sex or health status), and environmental factors (farm management). Moreover, the susceptibility to different mycotoxins varies between the species and in comparison to other farm animals, pigs are very sensitive to these toxins. Therefore the quality of feed is a key issue in a successful pig management and the paramount for success. One important point is monitoring mycotoxins in the feed or feed commodities, to control the exposure of animals to harmful effects of these toxins.
Material and methods
A total of 672 raw materials and finished feed samples from Europe (Austria, Greece, Czech Republic, Hungary, Spain, Romania, Poland, Lithuania, Croatia, Italy and Portugal) were analysed for most relevant mycotoxins in terms of agriculture and animal production - B-trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol and acetyldeoxynivalenol), zearalenone, A-trichothecenes (T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin), aflatoxins, ochratoxin A and fumonisins. The majority of the samples were received from Austria (596).
Data were analyzed from two perspectives: firstly an overview about the geographical occurrence of mycotoxins in Europe and secondly by means of commodity types. Analyses were performed by HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) or ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay).
For the purpose of data analysis, non-detect levels were based on the quantification limits of the test method for each toxin:
· B-trichothecenes 50µg/kg (HPLC);
· deoxynivalenol and acetyldeoxynivalenol 250µg/kg (ELISA);
· zearalenone 10µg/kg (HPLC) or 40µg/kg (ELISA) respectively;
· T-2 toxin 30µg/kg (HPLC); T-2 toxin 75µg/kg (ELISA);
· ochratoxin A 1µg/kg (HPLC) or 2µg/kg (ELISA), respectively;
· aflatoxins 0.5µg/kg (HPLC) or 1µg/kg, respectively and
· fumonisins 25µg/kg (HPLC) or 250µg/kg (ELISA), respectively.
Results
Table 1 gives a summary of the results of this survey in which 672 raw material and finished feed samples, from Europe in 2008, were analyzed. As samples were analysed with either HPLC or ELISA, data on “positive” samples were based on the LOQs (limits of detection) for ELISA analysis. Thus 63%, 22%, 7%, 13%, 26%, and 38% of all samples were tested positive for contamination with B-trichothecenes, zearalenone (ZON), A-trichothecenes, ochratoxin A (OTA), aflatoxins (Afla) and fumonisins (FUM), respectively.
Table 1 - Overview of the survey results
|
|
B-tricho
thecenes |
ZON
|
A-tricho
thecenes |
OTA
|
Afla
|
FUM
|
|
No. of samplesa
|
654
|
413
|
43
|
38
|
57
|
26
|
|
No. positiveb
|
412
|
91
|
3
|
5
|
15
|
10
|
|
% Positive
|
63
|
22
|
7
|
13
|
26
|
38
|
|
Averagec
|
653
|
29.6
|
9.6
|
3.0
|
33.8
|
2,097
|
|
Max. Leveld
|
24,019
|
902
|
115
|
54
|
1,621
|
13,622
|
|
a…Total number of samples analyzed - b…Number of samples tested positive (based on the quantification limits of ELISA analysis) - c…Arithmetic mean of all samples tested in µg/kg - d…Maximum level detected in µg/kg
|
||||||
Results of mycotoxin occurrence are discussed in detail for corn, wheat, barley, oat, triticale and finished feed. Other commodities such as rye, sorghum, soy and others are summarized in the category “other feed” due to the limited number of samples received.
Table 2 gives an overview of contamination of commodities tested, stating the total number of each raw material tested (a), the number of positives (b), the mean of all samples tested and the median of positive samples (c) and the highest detected level per commodity (d).
Table 2 - Incidence of mycotoxin contamination in agricultural commodities and feed samples
|
|
B- trichothecenes
|
ZON
|
A-trichothecenes
|
OTA
|
Afla
|
FUM
|
||||||
|
|
Total Nr.
|
Nr. pos.
|
Total Nr.
|
Nr. pos.
|
Total Nr.
|
Nr. pos.
|
Total Nr.
|
Nr. pos.
|
Total Nr.
|
Nr. pos.
|
Total Nr.
|
Nr. pos.
|
|
|
Mean/
Med. |
Max. lev.
|
Mean/
Med. |
Max. lev.
|
Mean/
Med. |
Max. lev.
|
Mean/
Med. |
Max. lev.
|
Mean/
Med. |
Max. lev.
|
Mean/
Med. |
Max. lev.
|
|
Corn
|
233
|
176
|
125
|
42
|
6
|
n.d.
|
4
|
n.d.
|
16
|
4
|
2
|
1
|
|
976.2/
736 |
24,019
|
51.1/
107.5 |
902
|
0/0
|
0
|
0/0
|
0
|
3.2/
5.7 |
39
|
6811/
13,622 |
13,622
|
|
|
Wheat
|
130
|
92
|
79
|
23
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
1
|
6
|
1
|
3
|
n.d.
|
|
679.8/
638 |
5,728
|
33.5/
671 |
681
|
0/0
|
0
|
1/
2.6 |
2.6
|
0.3/
1.7 |
1.7
|
0/0
|
0
|
|
|
Barley
|
86
|
22
|
60
|
n.d.
|
1
|
n.d.
|
1
|
n.d.
|
1
|
n.d.
|
0
|
0
|
|
131.6/
407.5 |
1,373
|
0/0
|
0
|
0/0
|
0
|
0/0
|
0
|
0/0
|
0
|
0/0
|
0
|
|
|
Oat
|
38
|
35
|
36
|
3
|
1
|
n.d.
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
766.5/
811 |
1,672
|
5.9/
78 |
86
|
0/0
|
0
|
0/0
|
0
|
0/0
|
0
|
0/0
|
0
|
|
|
Triticale
|
28
|
17
|
24
|
7
|
1
|
n.d.
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
748.2/
512 |
7,923
|
41.1/
92 |
479
|
0/0
|
0
|
0/0
|
0
|
0/0
|
0
|
0/0
|
0
|
|
|
Finished feed
|
58
|
27
|
36
|
5
|
5
|
n.d.
|
8
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
8
|
2
|
|
306.6/
364 |
2,911
|
10.4/
66 |
109
|
0/0
|
0
|
13/
28 |
54
|
0.40/
1.6 |
1.6
|
529/
2,056 |
2,220
|
|
|
Other feed
|
81
|
43
|
53
|
11
|
29
|
2
|
20
|
1
|
30
|
9
|
13
|
7
|
|
345.8/
610 |
1,806
|
19.4/
99 |
163
|
7.1/
103 |
115
|
0.2/
3.3 |
3.3
|
62.3/
3.9 |
1621
|
2,822/
3,228 |
11,246
|
|
|
n.d. = non detect according to LOQ of ELISA analysis
|
||||||||||||
As the most commonly used feed ingredient corn, was the most affected commodity. Corn data shown in Table 2 include corn, corn meal and corn silage. Out of 233 analyzed samples 76% tested positive for B-trichothecenes (maximum 24,019 µg/kg, average 967.2 µg/kg). 152 out of 243 corn samples subjected to ZON analysis resulted in 34 % positives (high 902 µg/kg, average 107.5 µg/kg). Positive samples Afla and FUM were also detected.
Wheat samples were checked mainly for B-trichothecenes and ZON contamination. The presence of B-trichothecenes was detected in 71% of the samples (high 5,728 µg/kg, average 679.75 µg/kg) and positive ZON samples were 29%. Barley in general had low contaminations, showing only B-trichothecene contaminations (high 1,373 µg/kg, average 407.5 µg/kg).
58 finished feed samples were checked for the presence of mycotoxins and 47% were contaminated with B-trichothecenes, 14% with ZON, 38% with OTA and 25% with FUM.
Single commodities such as cotton seed, sunflower or sorghum and similar are summarized in group “other feeds”; in total 93 samples were analyzed. A significant number of positive results were detected for B-trichothecene contaminations (53%, high 1,806 µg/kg, average 610 µg/kg) and ZON contaminations (21% positive, high 163 µg/kg, average 99 µg/kg).
Summary
The occurrence of mycotoxins in samples from Europe varied from 63%, 22%, 7%, 13%, 26%, and 38% for B-trichothecenes, zearalenone, A-trichothecenes, ochratoxin A, aflatoxins and fumonisins, respectively. The main problems were represented by B-trichothecene contaminations and analyzed samples had an average contamination of 652.97µg/kg and a maximum level of 24,019 µg/ kg detected in a corn sample.
Results of this survey indicate the necessity of monitoring mycotoxins to create an awareness of the risk of mycotoxin contamination in feedstuffs as it is not possible to avoid mycotoxin-contaminations in feed totally.
Moreover, post-harvest strategies like the addition of mycotoxin deactivating products to the feed are important to counteract the hazardous impacts of mycotoxins on animal health and performance. These feed additives deactivate toxins directly in the gastrointestinal tract of animals, based either on adsorption or enzymatic degradation of mycotoxins.
As adsorption is only successful for some mycotoxins, the Mycofix® product line from Biomin represents feed additives that protect animal from mycotoxicoses by adsorption, biotransformation and bioprotection and represent a valuable tool for mycotoxin risk management.
K. Griessler works at Biomin and J. Handl is employed by Erber AG, both in Herzogenburg, Austria
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