Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by naturally occurring fungi in grains, nuts and oil seeds. Aflatoxins are mycotoxins produced by the fungi, Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Corn, cottonseed, peanuts, tree nuts and their products can be contaminated by aflatoxin.
Aflatoxin Mitigation
In Texas, recent aflatoxin surveys showed more than 50 percent of the counties had one or more corn samples that exceeded action levels. Aflatoxin is a potential health threat to humans, livestock, poultry, pets, game birds, trout, deer or other wildlife. It may cause low rates of weight gain, impaired immune systems, reduced vigor and in some cases, even death.
Aflatoxin clearly endangers the food supplies and health of both people and livestock. This threatens the economic livelihood of crop producers, livestock producers, commercial feed users, and numerous feed and food industries.
Solving the Problem of Aflatoxin Contamination
Reducing the adverse impacts of aflatoxin in human and animal diets will have wide-ranging economic benefits. Research investments made today will reduce direct losses to corn growers, indirect losses from contaminated byproducts of corn bio-energy and the food and feed industry, as well as result in less expenditure for crop loss by crop insurance providers when solutions are deployed.
Biological control of aflatoxin is approved and is being used for peanuts and cottonseed. A specific bio-control has just been extended to include corn. Another technique used to control this issue is resistance through breeding and genetics. Currently, some very good sources of resistance have been developed, but are agronomically unacceptable for commercial production.
The goal is to develop a Corn Aflatoxin Risk Index (CARI). This index will be made publically available to corn growers and handlers so they can determine the best management practice procedures available to minimize aflatoxin contamination.
Research is also being conducted in areas where aflatoxin is chronic, showing that certain clays, when mixed at low rates with grains, can bind aflatoxin and greatly reduce aflatoxin's effect on animals and humans. The remedy is inexpensive and easily disseminated. More research is currently being done to promote this solution.
Find out more about aflatoxin in the Aflatoxin Mitigation Center of Excellence: Preventing Health Hazards and Economic Losses from Aflatoxin.
