The Growing Concern of Mycotoxins in Poultry Feed
Mycotoxins are significant contaminants found in feedstuffs globally, with their prevalence, types, and concentrations varying annually and regionally. Though often overlooked, these toxins are pervasive and can co-occur in single feed products, compounding challenges for poultry producers.
Recent studies reveal a concerning trend: multiple mycotoxins are frequently detected in feed materials. For example, corn grain from the United States typically contains an average of 4.8 different mycotoxins, while European corn shows an even higher average of 6 (Weaver et al., 2021 and Koletsi et al., 2021).
Analyzing samples at the Alltech 37+ Analytical Laboratory in Nicholasville, KY, highlights not only the presence of multiple mycotoxins but also a significant prevalence of emerging mycotoxins (Fig. 1). These emerging mycotoxins are not part of traditional categories, such as aflatoxin or deoxynivalenol (DON), and are classified as substances that are not routinely identified or regulated (Chiminelli et al., 2022).
Emerging mycotoxins, often associated with Fusarium molds and others from Alternaria species, have gained attention due to their frequent detection and increasing presence in agricultural commodities. A comprehensive analysis of 5,593 corn grain samples from January 2023 to May 2024 revealed an average of 6.7 mycotoxins per sample. Notably, emerging mycotoxins were present in 31.4% of the samples (Fig. 1).
Moreover, the data indicates a 6.6% increase in the prevalence of seven significant emerging mycotoxins from 2018 to 2024 (Fig. 2), emphasizing the need for heightened awareness and management strategies concerning these hazardous compounds in poultry feed safety.
Fig. 1. Mycotoxin prevalence based on the relative occurrence (%) of mycotoxins in 5,593 global corn grain samples analyzed between January 2018 and May 2024 for 54 mycotoxins by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass-spectrometry (Alltech 37+ Analytical Laboratory, Nicholasville, KY).
Fig. 2. Increase in the overall occurrence rate of emerging mycotoxins (beauvericin, enniatin A/A1, enniatin B/B1, fusaric acid, and moniliformin) in 5,593 global corn grain samples analyzed between January 2018 and May 2024 for 54 mycotoxins by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass-spectrometry (Alltech 37+ Analytical Laboratory, Nicholasville, KY).
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