December 9, 2014

Nutriad releases results of mycotoxin survey for Poland

The mycotoxin survey, by Belgium-based feed additives supplier Nutriad, covered 78 wheat samples across Poland.

More than 460 analyses were conducted to test for the occurrence of the six mycotoxins most frequently found in agricultural commodities intended for animal production. The survey provides an insight into the incidences of aflatoxins (Afla), zearalenone (ZEN), deoxynivalenol (DON), T-2 toxin, fumonisin B1 (FB1) and ochratoxin A (OTA) across all regions of Poland.

All samples were collected almost immediately after the harvest and the probability that some storage mycotoxins will have developed (OTA) was low. Wheat samples were sampled directly from farms or animal feed production sites.

All six mycotoxins were analysed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC MS/MS). For the purpose of data analysis, non-detection levels were based on the limits of quantification (LOQ) of the test method for each mycotoxin: AfB1 < 0.5 μg/kg; ZEN < 10 μg/kg; DON < 75 μg/kg; FB1 < 125 μg/kg; OTA < 1 μg/kg and T-2 toxin < 4 μg/kg.

The results show that 62% of wheat samples were contaminated with DON and none of the samples contained AfB1 and fumonisin B1. Only 3% of samples contained OTA but this result was expected as it is well known that OTA is a typical storage mycotoxin. The average concentrations of all recovered mycotoxins were medium while the highest concentration of DON found in one of the samples reached 2500 μg/kg. Although 8% of the samples contained T-2 toxin, a mycotoxin extremely toxic for poultry, its maximum concentration reached only 33 μg/kg and this level is negligible. Of more interest was contamination by zearalenone; only 10% of samples were contaminated but the highest analysed concentration was 250 μg/kg. The average ZEN contamination was 94 μg/kg and this level can be considered low for most animal species.