The company initiated the survey in 2010 and has issued nine reports so far, which have become essential benchmarks for assessing contamination risks in animal feed and trace minerals. This year's results reveal an ongoing risk of high levels of contamination in samples submitted from the Asia-Pacific region, with 14% of the samples exhibiting unsafe levels.

The survey analysed 735 samples collected from 12 countries across the Asia-Pacific region, bringing the total number of samples analysed to over 7,000 since the survey was launched in 2010.

Consistent with previous years, the survey evaluated lead, arsenic and cadmium levels, applying the European Union's maximum allowable thresholds to determine contamination risks. The analysis encompassed complete feed, premix, inorganic and organic trace mineral samples, spanning various agricultural categories including swine, poultry, ruminant, aquaculture and pets.

The Alltech 2023 Asia-Pacific Toxic Heavy Metal Survey revealed a contamination level of 14% across these samples. Analysis of the samples showed that significant contamination levels were found in organic trace mineral and inorganic mineral sources.

The survey highlighted that poultry premix exhibited the highest contamination levels at 13%, followed by aquaculture (9%) and ruminant premix samples (8%). In complete feed, swine diets demonstrated the highest contamination at 14%, followed by ruminant (9%) and poultry (5%). Certain samples displayed heavy metal levels surpassing EU regulations.

"Alltech has conducted nine Toxic Heavy Metal Surveys since 2010. The collective results have revealed a persistent risk of elevated contamination in Asia-Pacific samples, with an average rate of 19%, which pose significant risks to both animal health and the safety of the entire food chain," said Tara Tiller, global mineral project manager at Alltech.

The Alltech Quality System is a crucial tool for continuous monitoring and quality assurance in addressing trace mineral contamination.

The ALLTECH Q+ programme, a cornerstone of the Alltech Quality System, specifically addresses the threat of dioxin and PCB contamination in inorganic minerals.

Exclusively available for the SEL-PLEX^® and BIOPLEX^® ranges of organic trace minerals, ALLTECH Q+ guarantees mineral content by sourcing raw materials only from approved suppliers, rigorously testing incoming materials for contaminants and retesting before delivery.

 

Visit Alltech at: www.alltech.com