The feed additives brand of Nutreco, Selko convened plant, animal and mycotoxin experts in India for its inaugural mycotoxin academy. Presenters reviewed how masked and emerging mycotoxins are accelerating mycotoxin detection and mitigation efforts.
Selko hosted a mycotoxin academy in Bangaluru, India, 24-25 July. Ten presenters, including globally renowned experts on plant science, feed processing, and poultry, dairy and aquaculture production, delivered a multi-faceted look at mycotoxin risk factors affecting animal feed. The day-and-a-half program considered how causative factors and emerging threats – such as climate change – are generating mycotoxins in the field, in storage, during processing, and in animal feed. “Our team dove into four key areas – crop field conditions, raw material storage, feed production and the animal – to understand how these areas affect the mycotoxin challenges in Asia, Africa and beyond,” said Dr. Swamy Haladi, Global Technical Commercial Manager for Selko’s Mycotoxin Risk Management Programme. Following are highlights of the inaugural academy.
PLANT SCIENCE, FARM PRACTICES, AND MYCOTOXIN MANAGEMENT
Presenters reviewed how masked and emerging mycotoxins are accelerating mycotoxin detection and mitigation efforts. While these mycotoxins have always been present, enhanced detection and analysis are shedding new light on how they affect animals and humans. Dr. Haladi noted that some regulatory bodies are putting a higher focus on detecting masked mycotoxins. In western Europe, analysis for masked DON is conducted along with the standard DON analysis.
Conditions in the field present a particularly high challenge for controlling mycotoxins. It has been estimated that 70% of mycotoxin load in animal feeds come from the field. Lack of tilling and crop rotation are some practices that can contribute to fungal growth but support other desirable effects. A leading expert on fungal pathology, Prof. S.I. Harlapur of the Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India, discussed how planting practices such as soil management, seed selection, and breeding for selective traits can make crops more resistant to fungal invasion. Remarks by Ramachandra Hegde, Technical Manager at Andritz Technologies, addressed silo hygiene strategies to help protect the integrity of raw materials once they leave the field.
CONSIDERING RISK IN CONTEXT WITH SPECIES
As contaminated raw ingredients ultimately end up in animal feed, the effects of mycotoxin contamination show up in animals. Effects of mycotoxin exposure vary based on the species. Efforts to keep mycotoxins from being absorbed into animals’ blood where they can damage organs, can help protect both animals and the food they produce. Experts in ruminant, poultry and aquaculture production shared research analyzing the effects of mycotoxins. Dr. Antonio Gallo, Professor of Animal Nutrition and Feeding at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy, discussed mycotoxin risk in silages, TMR and dairy cows. Dr. Kai Kuehlman, Programme Manager Feed Safety for Trouw Nutrition’s APAC region explained research findings on how mycotoxins affect humans and aquaculture. Dr. Melchior de Bruin, Development and Deployment Manager at NutEx, provided a veterinarian’s insights on the need for differential diagnosis of mycotoxin issues with other bacterial and viral diseases.
Dr. Swamy Haladi further emphasized that diagnosis must precede mitigation efforts as a production issue can be erroneously attributed to mycotoxins. “Just because mycotoxins are present, they cannot be determined as the causative factor for all the health and production issues,” he stated, noting that if disease pressure or a biosecurity issue is the source of a problem, a mitigating tool – such as a mycotoxin mitigation agent – may not be effective.
WARMER CLIMATES AND FEED SAFETY
During the event, it was pointed out that warmer temperatures support thermophilic fungi and can weaken plants’ resistance to mycotoxins, and the following was stated: “Spraying blends of buffered and non-buffered organic acids onto ingredients before storage can help control mould growth. Furthermore, adding mycotoxin mitigation agents into animal feed can be a proactive tool for managing mycotoxins. Scientific studies have shown that mycotoxin binding agents, such as bentonites, are effective tools for helping manage aflatoxins, ergot toxins and endo toxins, however, efficacy depends on the type of bentonite. Because bentonites are moderately effective or ineffective against a number of other mycotoxins, the ingredients in a mycotoxin mitigation agent should utilize multiple modes of action, including a means to enhance immunity, gut health, and antioxidant status.
When consumed by animals in feed, mycotoxins can also pose a threat to human health. Mycotoxins have been associated with a range of human health problems such as liver cancer, reproductive disorders and esophageal cancer. Responding to climate change, the World Health Organization’s One Health has noted the need to sustainably balance and optimize ecosystems’ and humans’ and animals’ health through feed safety.”
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF SAFE FEED AND FOOD PRODUCTION
Reflecting on the mycotoxin academy, Dr. Swamy Haladi stated: “Interest in mycotoxin management is very high in Asia and Africa and this event allowed us to share these advances with the Asia and Pacific region ahead of next year’s World Mycotoxin Forum where Selko is a gold sponsor.” He noted that investments in research are bringing new insights to mycotoxin management. Future solutions may involve altering of mycotoxin biotransformation pathways and new technologies to manage affected organs. The best assessment of an event comes from those who attended. A participant from South India wrote the following about the mycotoxin academy, “It is my pleasure to attend such a technical seminar that focused primarily on mycotoxins and insights explained at the meeting are quite fantastic. Really, I am grateful for the opportunity.”
