The foundation for safe and sustainable livestock farming is quality and healthy feedstuffs. But geopolitical tensions, logistical bottlenecks and fluctuations in the raw material supply disrupt the global feed ingredient supply chain and lead to inconsistent quality. They also make access to feedstuffs both more expensive and more unpredictable. When negligence in storage and transportation is added to this, the problem is not only economic, but also poses serious health risks.
The smallest negligence in the post-harvest processes of feedstuffs can lead to the formation of harmful metabolites such as mycotoxins in a short time. Inadequate storage areas, inappropriate temperature-humidity balance and uncontrolled transportation conditions can render these valuable raw materials unusable. Climate change also aggravates the situation: Sudden temperature changes and increased humidity increase the risk of toxins such as aflatoxin, DON and fumonisin. These toxins not only threaten animal health, performance and welfare, but can also reach humans through animal products such as meat, milk and eggs. Today, the threat of these toxins, which weaken the immune system and cause yield losses, has reached a level that cannot be ignored in terms of public health. Today, the threat of these toxins, which weaken the immune system and cause yield losses, has reached a level that cannot be ignored in terms of public health. This situation makes feed safety not only a production issue, but also the shared responsibility of all stakeholders.
To summarize, feed safety is no longer the responsibility of feed producers alone, but of everyone from farmers to the food industry, from public authorities to the end consumer. Effective inspection, proper protection and up-to-date toxin management practices will shape not only the healthy production chain of today but also of the future.
In an era where food safety is closely linked to feed safety, feed protection is not a choice, but a responsibility to protect the health of animals, people and the planet. As part of this responsibility, we have covered various aspects of feed safety and toxin management in this month’s issue. I hope you find it a useful and inspiring read.
Hope to meet you in the next one…
