Feed & Additive Magazine Issue 4 May 2021

ARTICLE 64 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE May 2021 When a similar concept was applied on various re- gions of the world (Figure 3), AF and DON risk was the highest in Asia and Middle East and Africa, while OTA and T-2/HT-2 risk was the highest in North America. Medium toxicity was seen in Asia for OTA and T-2/HT-2 and the same was observed for DON in South America and T-2/HT-2 in Middle East and Africa. The remaining “Color Card’’ either was “low toxicity yellow” or “safe zone green.” INITIAL LOOK AT 2021 Thus far into 2021, only a small number of feed ingredients have been analyzed. However, initial findings for corn harvested from September to De- cember 2020 already highlight a few concerns for poultry producers. Early results show high toxici- ty levels from AF in corn in India, DON in both Mexico and South Africa, along with T2/HT2 in South Africa. ZEA and FUM levels appear to be low across multiple countries, however, aflatoxin may be an increasing concern in the U.S., Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa. Although some results are miss- ing, Canada’s crop reports medium toxicity levels for DON and T2/HT2. CONCLUSIONS Mycotoxins continue to be a threat for animal pro- duction as reflected in more than 80% contamina- tion of raw materials and complete feeds in 2020. Although there was a drop in the concentrations of four mycotoxins (AF, FUM, DON, and ZEA) in 2020 as compared to the results from 2019, OTA and T-2/HT-2 concentrations were higher, which can be quite challenging to monogastric animals. Early examination of corn to be used in 2021 feed production suggested the need for producers to con- tinue to check for mycotoxin presence and be aware of where they source their feed ingredients. Although there are steps producers can take to address and manage mycotoxins in ingredients, the process is involved and requires integration of mul- tiple practices. A systematic response may include crop rotation, ploughing, fungicide use on crops, reviewing storage and handling, use of mold inhibi- tors, feeding binders and immunomodulators, over- all farm management, and rapid testing. “Mycotoxin risk management is an integrated process, and it starts with correct and timely under- standing of the challenges in hand,” said Dr. Swamy Haladi, global programme manager for mycotox- in risk management with Trouw Nutrition. “Rapid analysis is key.” Trouw Nutrition’s mycotoxin database shows the occurrence of mycotoxins in feeds and raw materials to provide additional interpretation regarding what the presence of toxins means for producers and their livestock, Dr. Haladi said during the presentation. “Having the right programme helps in minimizing the economic losses through all the sectors of animal production,” he added. References 1. Zhang et al, 2020. 2. Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, 2003.