July 20, 2006

Bayer's new product, seminar in Asia
 

Press release
 

 

The contamination of feed and food stuffs with mycotoxins is a global problem.

 

The UN-Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that up to 25 percent of feed worldwide are contaminated with mycotoxins. There are large geographical differences in the occurrence of mycotoxins depending on climatic conditions, location and planting techniques. In the Asia-Pacific, the prevalence of mycotoxins varies from 1 to over 80 percent depending on the type of toxin and the geographical region.

 

Exposure typically occurs when contaminated food is eaten. People are at risk for example by drinking milk from animals that have been fed contaminated feed. The consequences of feeding animals a diet containing mycotoxins are:

• Reduced feed consumption
   
• Decreased feed conversion
   
• Decreased performance parameters (daily weight gain, laying performance, milk yields)
   
• Suppression of the animal's immune system
   
• Feed refusal
   
• Vomiting or diarrhoea
   
• Internal bleedings
   
• Internal and external lesions on skin and mucous membranes
   
• Reproductive disorders

Considerable opportunity exists for mycotoxin growth in feed, especially when large volumes of feedstuffs have to be stored and distributed. Therefore, to tackle the problem of toxic substances, it has become common practice in the feed and food industries to add mycotoxin-binding agents to livestock feed. A good toxin-binder selectively binds present toxins and keeps them bound, without binding essential nutrients such as vitamins or minerals.

 

One such toxin-binding agent recently launched by Bayer Animal Health is the Sudchemie-produced Toxisorb Classic and Toxisorb Premium, which consist of bentonites that are activated by a patented procedure to enhance their binding activities.

 

These superior toxin-binders not only fulfill all requirements for broad and strong toxin binding without interfering with other nutrients, but are also proven to be free of heavy metals and dioxin, thus providing absolute food safety.

 

     The results presented in the chart show that various mycotoxins in the feed and especially under acidic conditions in the stomach are effectively fixed to the special adsorbent Toxisorb Premium. This binding remains effective even in the further course of the digestive system when the pH-value changes from 3 to 7. Toxisorb Classic is an effective adsorbent for aflatoxins only.

 

To educate farmers and feed millers on effective food safety solutions for their livestock, industry experts from Sudchemie and Bayer Animal Health recently conducted a series of seminars in Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.

 

These seminars aimed to provide a platform for exchanging the latest information between specialists of integrated pig and poultry producers and opinion leaders in the livestock and feed industries including nutritionists, university professors and veterinarians. Besides highlighting pressing issues surrounding farms today, these seminars were good starting points to streamline the quality and food safety standards in many of these farms.

 

The biggest events took place in Thailand and the Philippines earlier this year.

 

In Thailand, the benefits of Toxisorb Premium were highlighted in a scientific symposium titled "Healthy Living on Earth", which also addressed several other topics related to food safety and biosecurity. "Science for a better life is not only a slogan. All employees of our company are working day by day to translate the latest scientific achievements into advanced products for our every day lives," said Dr György Polgar, general manager of Bayer HealthCare Thailand.

 

In the Philippines, over 170 specialists in the livestock and feed mill industries attended the one-day Toxisorb launch event for local senior nutrition and veterinary consultants. Ms Virgie Pagaspas, segment manager for Nutrition Products of Bayer Animal Health Philippines, illustrated and discussed the problems of mycotoxins and put forward Bayer's solution in combating the issue. A guest speaker from Sudchemie, Dr Ivan dos Santos, further emphasised the toxin binding principles of bentonite products.

 

For more information, contact:

 

Bayer HealthCare Asia Pacific,

Regional Communications

Yvonne Moeller

Tel: +65-6662-2616

E-mail: yvonne.moeller@bayerhealthcare.com

 

Sung Lee

Tel: +65-6662-2451

E-mail: sungoh.lee@bayerhealthcare.com