ISSUE FOCUS 46 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE April 2023 SEASONAL IMPACT ON MYCOTOXIN CONCENTRATIONS Mycotoxin concentrations in corn change throughout the year depending on the growing conditions in the field as well as storage conditions. As can be seen in the Figure 2, AF concentrations showed three peaks in the year in the months of February, July, and October. Each one of the mycotoxins showed different peaks indicating the differences in the conditions required for their production. The sizeable quantity of corn produced in 2022 will be used at least until Q1 of 2023 and hence studying such month-to-month variations can provide some tips for effective mycotoxin risk management. SPECIES RISK ASSESSMENT Different species have specific sensitivities to mycotoxin exposure and specifically young and reproducing animals can have more severe responses. When evaluating corn and formulating feeds, it is important to consider the types and concentrations of mycotoxins that may be present in corn. For example, corn with higher ZEA can be fed to poultry rather than sows. High concentrations of any mycotoxin in corn should be dealt with cautiously as corn represents more than 50% of most animal diets. It is also important to note that corn is not the only ingredient used in the animal feed. In addition to considering the mycotoxin contribution from corn to the complete feed, the contribution of other ingredients should also be evaluated to understand the total mycotoxin risk. For example, corn DDGS used at low levels of inclusion in poultry feed can contribute to high levels of DON in the complete feed as compared to corn itself. Last but not least, it is important to realise that most mycotoxins exert additive and synergistic interactions in animals when present in the same feed. The presence of multiple mycotoxins in the corn, hence, need to be dealt with cautiously. MYCOTOXIN MITIGATION Feeds contaminated with a range of mycotoxins expose livestock and poultry to multiple challenges threatening various internal organs and systems. For Figure 2. Month-to-Month variation in mycotoxin concentrations (ppb)
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