An optimal temperature and an appropriate water activity are the main parameters that determine fungi growth. Worldwide, pre- and postharvest fungi contaminate raw materials with mycotoxins. Aflatoxins and fumonisins are present in the tropical and subtropical regions, whereas ochratoxins are present in the more moderate climate zones. The occurrence of trichotecenes and zearalenones can be seen worldwide. Due to this worldwide presence and the threat to human health, more than one hundred countries have a legislation in place controlling mycotoxins in food. But also animal health and performance need to be.

The international agency research on cancer (IARC) has classified aflatoxins to be carcinogenic to humans. Ochratoxin A and Fumonisins B are possibly carcinogenic. Trichothecenes and zearalenone are noncarcinogenic but may induce other adverse effects. In food legislation, maximum levels of mycotoxins are registered to protect human health, but what about animal health and performance?

In a lot of countries there is no legal basis to limit the mycotoxin content in animal feed raw materials. Even when we look at the countries using maximum levels and guidance values (e.g. European Union, the United States, China), the latter are in most cases inadequate to ensure animal health, welfare and performance. For this reason Nuscience applies its own practical guidance for mycotoxins. Our technical experience in the farm showed that contamination levels, still within the guidance values, already have negative effects on the performance of the animal.

Legislation is always focusing on one single mycotoxin. In practice however time there is always a contamination of multiple mycotoxins having a synergistic detrimental effect. Secondly, there are mycotoxin metabolites that cannot be monitored, so called ‘masked mycotoxins’. When a mycotoxin enters the plant, a defense system is triggered. The plant can metabolize the mycotoxin and incorporate the metabolite in the cell wall or store it in the vacuole. This metabolite is non-toxic for the plant itself, but when eaten by the animal, it may induce negative effects. Finally, an animal with a low resistance and high stress level may be affected more by a mycotoxin contamination.

From the above it is clear that it is of utmost...