Biomin’s Mycotoxin Survey – Q3

22-11-2011 | Feed processing | News

Biomin, specialist in Mycotoxin Risk Management, in the period between April and June 2011, globally collected a total of 1,360 samples which were analyzed and 4,774 analyses were carried out for the most important mycotoxins in terms of agriculture and animal production – aflatoxins (Afla), zearalenone (ZON), deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisins (FUM) and ochratoxin A (OTA).

Samples tested were diverse, ranging from cereals such as corn, wheat, barley and rice to processing by-products, namely soybean meal, corn gluten meal, dried distillers grains with soluble (DDGS) and other fodders such as straw, silage and finished feed.

Figure 1 gives an overview on the distribution of mycotoxins in different world regions.

Figure 2: Global occurrence of mycotoxins between July and September 2011 in the analyzed samples

As can be observed in Figure 2, from the 804 survey samples analyzed 24 %, 31 %, 48 %, 50 % and 18 % tested positive for contamination with Afla, ZON, DON, FUM and OTA, respectively.

Figure 3: Global co-occurrence of mycotoxins

From Figure 3, it is obvious that mycotoxins are an ubiquitous problem as 89 % of the analyzed samples show the presence of, at least, one mycotoxin.

The presence of more than one mycotoxin in 35 % of the samples raises the attention to the problem of synergistic effects caused by multiple mycotoxins in animal feeds.

Tables 1 to 5 present an overview of the survey with details on analyzed samples. Number of samples tested, percentage of positive samples, average of positive, 75th percentile and maximum levels found are shown. 25 % of the tested samples fall at levels equal to or above those represented by the 75th percentile figure.

Table 1 – 5: Mycotoxin analysis results by different regions

Asia Total	Afla	ZON	DON	FUM	OTA
Number samples tested	497	504	511	448	451
Positive [%]	29	45	64	43	22
Average [μg/kg]	19	139	644	721	1
Maximum [μg/kg]	2230	7446	41439	18503	85
75th percentile [μg/kg]	40	232	875	1618	3

Europe Total	Afla	ZON	DON	FUM	OTA
Number samples tested	32	217	375	53	45
Positive [%]	25	24	42	55	29
Average [μg/kg]	1	35	505	435	2
Maximum [μg/kg]	6.6	1546	25759	3558	31
75th percentile [μg/kg]	5	126	1337	1307	3

North America	Afla	ZON	DON	FUM	OTA
Number samples tested	206	88	113	89	65
Positive [%]	25	17	60	52	22
Average [μg/kg]	17	14	499	555	1
Maximum [μg/kg]	416	152	19919	12900	18
75th percentile [μg/kg]	87	99	300	700	3

South America	Afla	ZON	DON	FUM	OTA
Number samples tested	191	167	165	191	151
Positive [%]	9	13	15	62	1
Average [μg/kg]	0	17	40	843	0
Maximum [μg/kg]	3	534	782	6920	10
75th percentile [μg/kg]	1	166	363	1922	10

Middle East	Afla	ZON	DON	FUM	OTA
Number samples tested	31	21	21	21	21
Positive [%]	39	0	14	67	43
Average [μg/kg]	1	0	46	298	2
Maximum [μg/kg]	16	0	408	3727	18
75th percentile [μg/kg]	2	0	357	256	8