Livestock Farmers Warned Over Mycotoxin Levels in Feed Grains

Abstract

Widespread drought across Europe during the 2022 grain growing season has left livestock farmers wary as the dry spell caused higher levels of mycotoxins. The drought has increased the presence of moulds which, in turn, bumped up the mycotoxin levels in new crop grains and forages. Mycotoxins are produced by certain species of fungus and are a big concern for livestock producers as they can influence feed quality and subsequent animal health and performance. The grim news was delivered by an analysis of crops grown in 2022 and sampled in a joint effort between Alltech and SGS, a global leader in mycotoxin testing and certification. The Alltech 2022 European Harvest Analysis collected data for key feed ingredients on a regional level, and the final results indicate moderate to high levels of mycotoxin risk. Over 1,000 samples of the most common grains and forages produced and used in the European livestock industry were taken as part of the work. Samples have been collected from farms or animal feed production sites in 20 different countries, offering a representative picture of the contamination risk in all regions, with an overall moderate to high risk. Dr Radka Borutova, European technical support manager with the Alltech mycotoxin management team, said the current results look very similar to the analysis performed in 2021, with the aflatoxin issue in central and south eastern Europe dominating the headlines and creating the greatest challenge for feed and livestock producers to manage. Although this analysis gives a robust assessment of the mycotoxin risk in Europe this year until you actually test the ingredients that you are using in your business, it can be difficult to implement an effective control plan. Some main results from the analysis reported that 100% of samples contained mycotoxins, with 79% containing 2 or more. On average, each sample contained 4.5 mycotoxins with aflatoxins, type B trichothecenes, fumonisins and emerging mycotoxins the most dominant groups detected. A total of 67 corn samples exceeded aflatoxin regulatory limits for feed usage, which is a major concern for livestock farmers. Mitigating mycotoxins is a huge challenge with no universal solution. However, breakthroughs are being made all the time in mycotoxin control and prevention, mycotoxin testing and the impact of mycotoxins on livestock. For the second year running, aflatoxin contamination of corn in central and south eastern Europe is a dominant issue for feed and livestock producers to consider as they begin to purchase and use ingredients during the coming feeding season.