Feed Chain Research Articles

Mapping the coordination and cooperation mechanisms of risk communication on feed/food safety in the EU.

The mapping of the EU coordination and cooperation mechanisms of risk communication in the field of food safety (i.e. encompassing all matters pertaining to the feed and food chain) was conducted for the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), following a mandate by the European Commission, to inform the General Plan for Risk Communication that the Commission will set out. This study focuses on communication activities in 'peacetime' situations (i.e. non-crisis) on the published outputs of risk assessment and risk management. This is a specific part of the risk communication process defined in the General Food Law. Data were collected through an online survey of competent authority organisations involved in risk communication at national and regional levels in the EU-27 Member States and Norway; and interviews with selected organisations at Member State, EU and international levels. Based on these data, this report provides an overview of the current information flow of risk communication, in terms of whether and how organisations at all levels receive, produce, and disseminate risk communication material. The existing flows in each country are described and mapped in flow charts. Flows are also presented for each of the EU/international organisations involved in risk communication on food safety. A number of relevant networks are identified that actively engage in sharing/exchanges of risk communication material on food safety, including networks managed by EFSA. This project also highlighted certain challenges in current risk communication systems, and recommendations are made to address them. At national level, these are: an increase in resources dedicated to coordinating communication on EU food safety issues, to improve capacity to undertake this task; strengthen the cooperation and coordination between authorities involved in risk communication activities to ensure a more proactive approach. In addition, recommendations are provided to enhance further collaboration of communication activities at all levels (between Member States and with EFSA; between EU Agencies), so that the coordination of risk communication at EU level follows a partnership approach.

Physical and Chemical Methods for Reduction in Aflatoxin Content of Feed and Food

Aflatoxins (AFs) are among the most harmful fungal secondary metabolites imposing serious health risks on both household animals and humans. The more frequent occurrence of aflatoxins in the feed and food chain is clearly foreseeable as a consequence of the extreme weather conditions recorded most recently worldwide. Furthermore, production parameters, such as unadjusted variety use and improper cultural practices, can also increase the incidence of contamination. In current aflatoxin control measures, emphasis is put on prevention including a plethora of pre-harvest methods, introduced to control Aspergillus infestations and to avoid the deleterious effects of aflatoxins on public health. Nevertheless, the continuous evaluation and improvement of post-harvest methods to combat these hazardous secondary metabolites are also required. Already in-use and emerging physical methods, such as pulsed electric fields and other nonthermal treatments as well as interventions with chemical agents such as acids, enzymes, gases, and absorbents in animal husbandry have been demonstrated as effective in reducing mycotoxins in feed and food. Although most of them have no disadvantageous effect either on nutritional properties or food safety, further research is needed to ensure the expected efficacy. Nevertheless, we can envisage the rapid spread of these easy-to-use, cost-effective, and safe post-harvest tools during storage and food processing.

Impact of COVID-19 on animal production in Ghana.

COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease originating from Wuhan, a city in China (Lone and Ahmad, 2020), in November 2019. This virus has, since its emergence, caused widespread damage to the world, including both developed and developing countries. Aside from the health implications of the disease, other important areas, including the agricultural value chain, such as the livestock production sector, has had its share of the effects (Bisson and Hambleton, 2020) given its role in nutrition, livelihood, and food security. The COVID-19 pandemic has also brought into focus a number of issues, including food safety and hygiene issues, intricately linked to the consumption of the animal resourced foods, the high cost of production on the African continent versus cheaper imports now less available due to global movement restrictions, and the weaknesses in feed, veterinary, insurance, and other supply chains (AU-IBAR, 2020). Like other African countries, animal production in Ghana has not been spared the negative impacts on the activities of stakeholders along the livestock value chain from feed production and supply, communal grazing, sustainable use and conservation, and provision of veterinary services, including artificial insemination, livestock trade, transport, slaughtering, processing, and marketing of livestock products. These suggest the need for various governments and stakeholders in the West African region, including Ghana, to put in measures to counteract the adverse effects of the pandemic in the livestock subsector and the agricultural sector as a whole. This paper examines the effects of COVID-19 on animal production in Ghana.

Perspectives on Global Mycotoxin Issues and Management From the MycoKey Maize Working Group

During the last decade, there have been many advances in research and technology that have greatly contributed to expanded capabilities and knowledge in detection and measurement, characterization, biosynthesis, and management of mycotoxins in maize. MycoKey, an EU-funded Horizon 2020 project, was established to advance knowledge and technology transfer around the globe to address mycotoxin impacts in key food and feed chains. MycoKey included several working groups comprising international experts in different fields of mycotoxicology. The MycoKey Maize Working Group recently convened to gather information and strategize for the development and implementation of solutions to the maize mycotoxin problem in light of current and emerging technologies. This feature summarizes the Maize WG discussion and recommendations for addressing mycotoxin problems in maize. Discussions focused on aflatoxins, deoxynivalenol, fumonisins, and zearalenone, which are the most widespread and persistently important mycotoxins in maize. Although regional differences were recognized, there was consensus about many of the priorities for research and effective management strategies. For preharvest management, genetic resistance and selecting adapted maize genotypes, along with insect management, were among the most fruitful strategies identified across the mycotoxin groups. For postharvest management, the most important practices included timely harvest, rapid grain drying, grain cleaning, and carefully managed storage conditions. Remediation practices such as optical sorting, density separation, milling, and chemical detoxification were also suggested. Future research and communication priorities included advanced breeding technologies, development of risk assessment tools, and the development and dissemination of regionally relevant management guidelines.

Biological contaminants in insects as food and feed

During the last decade, edible insects have successfully taken a meaningful position in the feed and food chain. To expand this position, product safety continuously needs to be warranted. This review focuses on the current knowledge and the future challenges on the prevalence of human foodborne pathogens in edible insects. The top three of the bacterial pathogens associated with insects for food are Staphylococcus aureus, pathogenic Clostridium spp. and pathogenic species of the Bacillus cereus group. Less is known about other types of biological contaminants, the fungi, viruses, protozoa and prions. For insects for feed, even less reports on pathogens are available so far, although the microbiota of Hermetia illucens is increasingly being studied in the latest years. In addition to the evaluation of endogenous microorganisms in insects, an overview is given of inoculation experiments to study the fate of specific food pathogens during rearing. Future challenges that are identified mainly relate to the fact that risk assessments directed to specific insect species are needed. Also, more research data are needed on the microbiological quality of substrates and residue, in connection with decontamination treatments. The house flora of rearing facilities has not been investigated before. The insect supply chain can generate insights in the microbiological quality of the integral chain by implementing exhaustive sampling plans and by applying predictive microbiology. Additionally, microbiological methods used in research and quality control require standardisation. Rather unexplored so far is the unculturable fraction of the insect microbial community and its importance in food safety. Last but not least, the most important microbiological challenge may well be situated in the further development of the sector: upscaling in terms of capacity and number of companies will increase the complexity of the sector. That will have implications for monitoring and control of biological contaminants.

Biological Control and Mitigation of Aflatoxin Contamination in Commodities.

Aflatoxins (AFs) are toxic secondary metabolites produced mostly by Aspergillus species. AF contamination entering the feed and food chain has been a crucial long-term issue for veterinarians, medicals, agroindustry experts, and researchers working in this field. Although different (physical, chemical, and biological) technologies have been developed, tested, and employed to mitigate the detrimental effects of mycotoxins, including AFs, universal methods are still not available to reduce AF levels in feed and food in the last decades. Possible biological control by bacteria, yeasts, and fungi, their excretes, the role of the ruminal degradation, pre-harvest biocontrol by competitive exclusion or biofungicides, and post-harvest technologies and practices based on biological agents currently used to alleviate the toxic effects of AFs are collected in this review. Pre-harvest biocontrol technologies can give us the greatest opportunity to reduce AF production on the spot. Together with post-harvest applications of bacteria or fungal cultures, these technologies can help us strictly reduce AF contamination without synthetic chemicals.

Building consensus on water use assessment of livestock production systems and supply chains: Outcome and recommendations from the FAO LEAP Partnership

The FAO Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance (LEAP) Partnership organised a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to develop reference guidelines on water footprinting for livestock production systems and supply chains. The mandate of the TAG was to i) provide recommendations to monitor the environmental performance of feed and livestock supply chains over time so that progress towards improvement targets can be measured, ii) be applicable for feed and water demand of small ruminants, poultry, large ruminants and pig supply chains, iii) build on, and go beyond, the existing FAO LEAP guidelines and iv) pursue alignment with relevant international standards, specifically ISO 14040 (2006)/ISO 14044 (2006), and ISO 14046 (2014). The recommended guidelines on livestock water use address both impact assessment (water scarcity footprint as defined by ISO 14046, 2014) and water productivity (water use efficiency). While most aspects of livestock water use assessment have been proposed or discussed independently elsewhere, the TAG reviewed and connected these concepts and information in relation with each other and made recommendations towards comprehensive assessment of water use in livestock production systems and supply chains. The approaches to assess the quantity of water used for livestock systems are addressed and the specific assessment methods for water productivity and water scarcity are recommended. Water productivity assessment is further advanced by its quantification and reporting with fractions of green and blue water consumed. This allows the assessment of the environmental performance related to water use of a livestock-related system by assessing potential environmental impacts of anthropogenic water consumption (only “blue water”); as well as the assessment of overall water productivity of the system (including “green” and “blue water” consumption). A consistent combination of water productivity and water scarcity footprint metrics provides a complete picture both in terms of potential productivity improvements of the water consumption as well as minimizing potential environmental impacts related to water scarcity. This process resulted for the first time in an international consensus on water use assessment, including both the life-cycle assessment community with the water scarcity footprint and the water management community with water productivity metrics.Despite the main focus on feed and livestock production systems, the outcomes of this LEAP TAG are also applicable to many other agriculture sectors.

Management strategies for aflatoxin risk mitigation in maize, dairy feeds and milk value chains—case study Kenya

AbstractWidespread aflatoxin contamination of a great number of food and feed crops has important implications on global trade and health. Frequent occurrence of aflatoxin in maize and milk poses serious health risks to consumers because these commodities are staple foods in many African countries. This situation calls for development and implementation of rigorous aflatoxin control measures that encompass all value chains, focusing on farms where food and feed-based commodities prone to aflatoxin contamination are cultivated. Good agricultural practices (GAP) have proven to be an effective technology in mitigation and management of the aflatoxin risk under farm conditions. The prevailing global climate change is shown to increase aflatoxin risk in tropical and subtropical regions. Thus, there is an urgent need to devise and apply novel methods to complement GAP and mitigate aflatoxin contamination in the feed, maize and milk value chains. Also, creation of awareness on aflatoxin management through training of farmers and other stakeholders and enforcement of regular surveillance of aflatoxin in food and feed chains are recommended strategies. This literature review addresses the current situation of aflatoxin occurrence in maize, dairy feeds and milk produced and traded in Kenya and current technologies applied to aflatoxin management at the farm level. Finally, a case study in Kenya on successful application of GAP for mitigation of aflatoxin risk at small-scale farms will be reviewed.

Update of the list of QPS-recommended biological agents intentionally added to food or feed as notified to EFSA 13: suitability of taxonomic units notified to EFSA until September 2020.

The qualified presumption of safety (QPS) approach was developed to provide a regularly updated generic pre‐evaluation of the safety of biological agents, intended for addition to food or feed, to support the work of EFSA's Scientific Panels. It is based on an assessment of published data for each agent, with respect to its taxonomic identity, the body of knowledge, safety concerns and antimicrobial resistance. Safety concerns identified for a taxonomic unit (TU) are, where possible, confirmed at strain or product level, and reflected by ‘qualifications’. In the period covered by this statement, no new information was found that would change the status of previously recommended QPS TUs. Of the 36 microorganisms notified to EFSA between April and September 2020, 33 were excluded; seven filamentous fungi (including Aureobasidium pullulans based on recent taxonomic insights), one Clostridium butyricum, one Enterococcus faecium, three Escherichia coli, one Streptomyces spp. and 20 TUs that had been previously evaluated. Three TUs were evaluated; Methylorubrum extorquens and Mycobacterium aurum for the first time and Bacillus circulans was re‐assessed because an update was requested in relation to a new mandate. M. extorquens and M. aurum are not recommended for QPS status due to the lack of a body of knowledge in relation to use in the food or feed chain and M. aurum, due to uncertainty concerning its pathogenicity potential. B. circulans was recommended for QPS status with the qualifications for ‘production purposes only’ and ‘absence of cytotoxic activity’.

PATHOGENICITY OF FEED-BORNE BACILLUS CEREUS AND ITS IMPLICATION ON FOOD SAFETY

Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) is a novel emerging pathogen contaminated extensively in animal feed and food chains, posing a huge economic loss for animal industry and high risk for human health. This pathogen is a robust omnipresent heat resistant spore former, able to form biofilm and isolated from different environments such as food and atmosphere that occur all year round without any particular geographic distribution. The potential of survival for B. cereus spores in unfavorable conditions pose a considerable threat to food safety and also cause economic losses to the food industry. B. cereus aggravates acute diarrhea and malnourishment in poultry by inducing gizzard erosion and ulceration (GEU). It will facilitate persistent other bacterial infection in the lungs via damaging gastric intestine tract. Also, it can cause serious food safety because it seems difficult to fully prevent their presence in food. It may cause gastrointestinal diseases that trigger emetic and diarrheal symptoms as well as general and local infections related to the respiratory tracts of immunologically threatened individual and newborns. B. cereus produces a wide range of potential virulence factors, including heat stable/labile toxins (cerulide, NHE, HBL, CytK, Ent-FM, bc-D-ENT, CLO, HlyII, HlyIII) and tissue-destructive enzymes (PI-PLC, PC-PLC, SMase, ?-lactamase, InhA1, NprA), but their roles and molecular mechanism in specific infections have not been clarified yet. This review provided a historical record of possible risk factors and pathogenesis of animal industry and highlights the implications for animal industry and food safety by ingestion of the feed-borne Bacillus cereus.

Occurrence and distribution of bisphenol compounds in different categories of animal feeds used in China

Bisphenol compounds (BPs) are of concern worldwide as potential environmental contaminants, and these chemicals may migrate into animal-derived foodstuffs from animal feeds. In this study, 12 BPs were analyzed in 7 varieties of animal feed groups totaling 203 samples collected from various provinces in China. 6 BPs were found in these feed samples, with a total detection frequency of 75.5%. The total concentration of all BPs (Σ6BPs) in each type of feed ranged from below the limit of detection to 75.3 ng g−1, with an overall mean value of 4.52 ng g−1. The frequency of BPs contamination and the Σ6BPs values were found to be higher in animal-based feeds (Pfrequency > 0.05, Pconcentration < 0.01) than in plant-based feeds. BPA and BPS were the predominant BPs in these feed samples, accounting for (on average) 63.9% and 24.6% of the total BPs, respectively. Overall, the mean concentrations of BPA in these animal feeds were much lower than the legal limits set by China and European Union, implying a low direct risk to both animal health and animal-derived food safety. However, the evident risk of the contamination of various animal-derived food items with BPs passed through the feed chain merits further investigation.

Enrichment of Hydrogen Oxidizing Bacteria from High Temperature and Salinity Environments.

There is an urgent need for sustainable protein supply routes with low environmental footprint. Recently, the use of hydrogen oxidizing bacteria (HOB) as a platform for high quality microbial protein (MP) production has regained interest. This study aims to investigate the added value of using conditions such as salt and temperature to steer HOB communities to lower diversities, while maintaining a high protein content and a high quality amino acid profile. Pressure drop and hydrogen consumption were measured for 56 days to evaluate autotrophy of a total of six communities in serum flasks. Of the six communities, four were enriched under saline (0.0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 mol NaCl l-1) and two under thermophilic conditions (65°C). Five communities enriched for HOB were subsequently cultivated in continuously stirred reactors under the same conditions to evaluate their potential as microbial protein producers. The protein percentages ranged from 41 to 80%. The highest protein content was obtained for the thermophilic enrichments. Amino acid profiles were comparable to protein sources commonly used for feed purposes. Members of the genus Achromobacter were found to dominate the saline enrichments while members of the genus Hydrogenibacillus were found to dominate the thermophilic enrichments. Here we show that enriching for HOB while steering the community toward low diversity and maintaining a high quality protein content can be successfully achieved, both in saline and thermophilic conditions.IMPORTANCE Alternative feed and food supply chains are required to decrease water and land use. HOB offer a promising substitute for traditional agricultural practice to produce microbial protein (MP) from residual materials and renewable energy. To safeguard product stability, the composition of the HOB community should be controlled. Defining strategies to maintain the stability of the communities is therefore key for optimization purposes. In this study, we use salt and temperature as independent conditions to stabilize the composition of the HOB communities. Based on the results presented, we conclude that HOB communities can be steered to have low diversity using the presented conditions while producing a desirable protein content with a valuable amino acid profile.

A Review of Wood Biomass-Based Fatty Acids and Rosin Acids Use in Polymeric Materials.

In recent decades, vegetable oils as a potential replacement for petrochemical materials have been extensively studied. Tall oil (crude tall oil, distilled tall oil, tall oil fatty acids, and rosin acids) is a good source to be turned into polymeric materials. Unlike vegetable oils, tall oil is considered as lignocellulosic plant biomass waste and is considered to be the second-generation raw material, thus it is not competing with the food and feed chain. The main purpose of this review article is to identify in what kind of polymeric materials wood biomass-based fatty acids and rosin acids have been applied and their impact on the properties.

Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) of the application of nanoscience and nanotechnology in the food and feed chain

Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) of the application of nanoscience and nanotechnology in the food and feed chain

Process Management in Food Supply Chains: A Case Study

Purpose: The aim of this article is to identify processes in the horses feed supply chains implemented for the needs of sporting stables, together with an indication of the factors determining their efficient management and to propose methods to improve the process. Design/Approach: The research was conducted using qualitative methods. As part of the research procedure, process analysis was carried out using the method of mapping processes in the horse feed supply chain. To analyse and evaluate the examined processes were presented in the form of graphical maps developed using the iGrafx software. Findings: The results of the study indicate that the coordination and integration of logistics processes has a significant impact on the efficiency of the feed supply chain. It is necessary to focus process management on building partnerships in the supply chain to ensure high quality horse nutrition. Practical Implications: The results can be used to improve the supply chain, which is important for owners, breeders, trainers, and animal caregivers - as well as sports, insurance, or veterinary institutions. Nutritional issues are subject to detailed analysis in the event of success and at the time of occurrence of health problems ending with surgical intervention or death of the horse. Originality/Value: Due to the growing importance of these issues for the efficient operation of the feed chain for horses, it is necessary to understand and promote the aspect of coherent, integrated process management in the scientific and practical dimension. An important element of breeding and training activities is the proper recognition of individual elements and relationships in feed supply chains, as well as the factors determining them.

Aflatoxins in Milk and Dairy Products: Occurrence and Exposure Assessment for the Serbian Population

The main objective of this study was to assess the exposure associated with aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) of the adult population in Serbia from consumption of milk and dairy products. This assessment was performed using concentration values of AFM1 in raw milk (385 samples) and dairy products (556 samples) based on the analyses conducted in the period between 2015 and 2018. In parallel, a dairy products consumption survey was completed during 2018 based on ‘one-day’ and ‘seven-day’ recall methods. In order to estimate the intake of AFM1 from the consumption of dairy products for both recall methods, a Monte Carlo simulation was conducted. The study revealed that pasteurized milk and yogurt are dairy products mostly consumed by the Serbian adult population. Estimated daily intake of AFM1 was in the range of 62–74 × 10−3 ng/kg bw/day, depending on the recall methods and scenarios employed. Although the results show moderate exposure risks compared to similar studies worldwide, climatic conditions and weather extremes that have occurred recently may have negatively influenced the contamination of feed and, consequently, AFM1 contamination of milk. As a result, it is justifiable to promote continuous monitoring in feed and dairy supply chains in Serbia and provide an update of exposure assessment.

DNA walking strategy to identify unauthorized genetically modified bacteria in microbial fermentation products

Recently, unexpected contaminations of unauthorized genetically modified microorganisms (GMM) carrying antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes were reported in microbial fermentation products commercialized on the food and feed chain. To guarantee the traceability and safety of the food and feed chain, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has played a key role to prove GMM contaminations via the characterization of unnatural associations of sequences. However, WGS requires a prior microbial isolation of the GMM strain, which can be difficult to successfully achieve. Therefore, in order to avoid such bottleneck, a culture-independent approach was proposed in this study. First, the screening for the aadD gene, an AMR gene conferring a resistance to kanamycin, and for the pUB110 shuttle vector, carrying the aadD gene and commonly used to produce GMM, is performed. In case of a positive signal, DNA walking methods anchored on the two borders of the detected pUB110 shuttle vector are applied to characterize unknown flanking regions. Following to the sequencing of the generated amplicons, unnatural associations of sequences can be identified, allowing to demonstrate the presence of unauthorized GMM. The developed culture-independent strategy was successfully applied on commercialized microbial fermentation products, allowing to prove the presence of GMM contaminations in the food and feed chain.

Mycotoxins in Feed and Food and the Role of Ozone in Their Detoxification and Degradation: An Update.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by some filamentous fungi, which can cause toxicity in animal species, including humans. Because of their high toxicological impacts, mycotoxins have received significant consideration, leading to the definition of strict legislative thresholds and limits in many areas of the world. Mycotoxins can reduce farm profits not only through reduced crop quality and product refusal, but also through a reduction in animal productivity and health. This paper briefly addresses the impacts of mycotoxin contamination of feed and food on animal and human health, and describes the main pre- and post-harvest systems to control their levels, including genetic, agronomic, biological, chemical, and physical methods. It so highlights (i) the lack of effective and straightforward solutions to control mycotoxin contamination in the field, at pre-harvest, as well as later post-harvest; and (ii) the increasing demand for novel methods to control mycotoxin infections, intoxications, and diseases, without leaving toxic chemical residues in the food and feed chain. Thus, the broad objective of the present study was to review the literature on the use of ozone for mycotoxin decontamination, proposing this gaseous air pollutant as a powerful tool to detoxify mycotoxins from feed and food.

Toxigenic fungal species and natural occurrence of mycotoxins in crops harvested in Argentina

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungal species that mainly belong to Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium and Alternaria, which can grow in a variety of crops including cereals, oilseeds and fruits. Consequently, their prevalence in foods and by-products not only affects human and animal health but also causes important losses in both domestic and international markets. This review provides data about toxigenic fungal species and mycotoxin occurrence in different crops commonly grown in Argentina. This information will be relevant to establish adequate management strategies to reduce the impact of mycotoxins on human food and animal feed chains and to implement future legislation on the maximum permitted levels of these fungal metabolites.

Preliminary simulations of flat and parabolic reflectarray antennas to generate a multi‐spot coverage from a geostationary satellite

This study presents the design process and preliminary results of a 1.8-m reflectarray antenna able to generate a complete multi-spot coverage for transmission from a geostationary satellite operating in Ka-band (18.2–20.2 GHz). The reflectarray is designed using a newly validated method which makes it possible to generate four spaced beams per feed at different frequencies and polarisations. Two different antenna configurations have been evaluated: first, a 1.8-m flat reflectarray has been designed to produce a total of 108 spot beams in two frequencies and two polarisations using 27 dual-polarised feeds; then, the design has been extended to consider a 1.8-m parabolic reflectarray to overcome the limitations related to the phase distributions in large flat reflectarrays. The proposed concept can allow a reduction in the number of antennas and feed chains on board the satellite since only two reflectarray antennas would be needed to produce a four-colour multi-spot coverage in Ka-band, one for transmit and other for receive.