Re: News - Swine - Feeding Mycotoxin-infected Wheat

Dear Mr. Greg Simpson,

The Commission Recommendations of the European Communities (EU), published the 23rd of August 2006 (Official Journal of the European Union, 2006/576/EC) a Guidance Values for zearalenone and other mycotoxins in products intended for animal feed. In zearalenone the guidance values (ppm) relative to a complementary and complete feedingstuffs with a moisture content of 12% were as follows:

Complementary and complete feedingstuffs for piglets and gilts (young sows): 0.1 ppm

Complementary and complete feedingstuffs for sows and fattening pigs: 0.25 ppm

These maximum concentration levels recommended by EU are totally different to the maximum levels showed in your article.

Who is correct the EU or you?

I have noted that the guidance levels of your article were already published on the 18th of August 2000 by Janice Murphy, Swine Nutritionist/OMAFRA, in the article Molds and Mycotoxins-Feeding Mold and Mycotoxin Contaminated Corn to Swine, perhaps it is necessary to update your guidance values.

Personally, I observed serious estrogenic problems in sows (gestation/lactation) consuming during 7-14 days a contaminated mixed feed with 0.5 ppm of zearalenone (the mixed feed was not found contaminated with other mycotoxins, like vomitoxin) and with a daily feed consumption of 3 Kg for gestation and 6 Kg for lactation. You can note that the daily consumption of zearalenone was more than 1 mg zearalenone/sow per day. According to several authors, the daily zearalenone consumption value previously referred is critical in order to produce estrogenic problems.

Best Regards,

Gimeno

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Re: News - Swine - Feeding Mycotoxin-infected Wheat

Dear Mr. Greg Simpson,

In addition to my comments about Guidance Values for zearalenone, probably you know the article entitled: “Mycotoxins as a risk factor for the origin of diseases and production decreases in swine facilitiesan epidemiologic study” published in 1991 by Ewald.C Rehm.A and Haupt. C. (Tierärztlichen Ambulanz Schwarzenbek, Fachbereich Veterinärmedizin der Freien Universität Berlin), in Berl. Munch. Tierarztl. Wochenschr, May 1104(5):161-166. With the following abstract from, PMID: 1831348 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]:

“Feed samples checked for the mycotoxins zearalenone and ochratoxin A from the harvest 1987 were positive at a markedly higher percentage (37.5%) compared to previous years, which is explained by the especially unfavourable harvesting conditions of 1987. In certain herd problems affecting the digestive or respiratory tract, mycotoxins could be detected with a much higher frequency (64.7% and 50.0% respectively). The mean level detected in feed samples by thin layer chromatography ranged within 30.3 ppb for zearalenone and within 58.3 ppb for ochratoxin A. In most cases there was a history of infertility. Considering the clinical situation, which is presented comparatively in herds with positive mycotoxin results, the possible involvement of mycotoxins in the disease, even at very low concentrations, is pointed out. In this context, zearalenone is incriminated of being an indicator of a multitoxic process besides its own direct effects. According to own experiences low levels of zearalenone in the range of 20-50 ppb in the feed have to be considered hazardous. If changing of pig feed in cases of herd problems will be recommended, a level of less than 10 ppb of zearalenone, especially in sow and piglet rations, should not be exceeded. Same may be valid to ochratoxin A.”

What is your opinion?

Should the EU revise and decrease the Guidance Values for zearalenone published in August 2006?

Should you revise and decrease substantially the Guidance Values for zearalenone showed in your article?

The best regards,

Gimeno

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