This analysis is based on the book chapter "Relevant fungal species and associated mycotoxins in storage," authored by Carla Cervini, Andrea Patriarca, Carol Verheecke-Vaessen, and Angel Medina, published in Mycotoxins , DOI: 10.1163/9789004724969_011.
While pre-harvest contamination receives significant attention, storage is identified as the most critical stage in the food supply chain where fungal growth and mycotoxin accumulation can severely impact food and feed safety....
INTRODUCTION Due to its nutritional value, corn (Zea mays L.) is one of the main ingredients used in the diets for poultry worldwide. Brazil is one of the largest corn producer and exporter countries (USDA, 2021), and, according to ABIMILHO (2023), about 50% of the corn produced in Brazil in the 2019/2020 harvest was used for animal consumption, reaching more than 54% in the 2022/2023 harvest. The grain is globally traded as a commodity because it is a homogeneous product from which...
Background – what are aflatoxins and their impacts Aflatoxins are highly toxic compounds produced by certain strains of Aspergillus fungi, particularly A. flavus and A. parasiticus. These toxins, regulated at very low levels (parts per...
Quality of stored grain must be maintained through the entire summer period, until stocks can be rotated in the fall. Summer storage is challenging because warm temperatures and high relative humidities put even dry grain at risk for mold and insect activity. The chart below explains why summer aeration can create either continued mold growth or excessive moisture shrink (below 14% moisture corn; 12% moisture soybeans). The horizontal lines are the market standard moistures for corn...
Extreme rains in northwest Iowa have caused instances of stored grain being covered with floodwater. According to current Food and Drug Administration policy, grain inundated by uncontrolled river or stream water is considered adulterated and must be destroyed. The current situation is one of river water flooding rather than of rain-driven pooled water in low ground, for which there are salvage options. River-based floodwaters can bring in many hazards and rapid spoilage. Flooding...
The use of barley in broiler diets is limited because of the presence of β-glucans, which negatively influence nutrient utilisation and bird performance. These negative effects may be partly overcome by exogenous carbohydrases containing β-glucanases. In the current study, the influence of a multi-component carbohydrase (Ronozyme multigrain, DSM Nutritional Products, Singapore) on nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolisable energy (AMEn; assay 1), and, apparent ileal digestibility...
I. INTRODUCTION Necrotic enteritis (NE) is of great concern to the poultry industry due to its deteriorating impact on production and increasing mortality, resulting in a US$6 billion global economic loss (Wade and Keyburn, 2015). The causative agent of NE is Clostridium perfringens, a gram-positive spore-forming anaerobic bacterium. The subclinical form of NE is financially more devastating than the clinical form. This is due to a lack of obvious symptoms resulting in a delayed...
I. INTRODUCTION Microbial enzymes are now routinely used in broiler chicken diets to reduce the effects of antinutritive factors (ANF) in feed and/or improve the digestion of nutrients (Bedford, 2011). There is a suite of enzymes that target ANF such as non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and phytic acid as well as products which improve the digestion of nutrients such as protein and minerals. The major cereals used in poultry diets are wheat, maize, sorghum and barley. The objective of...
In the world of animal feed manufacturing, some parameters shout: protein levels, energy values, additive profiles. Others whisper, quietly shaping performance from behind the scenes. Particle size is one of those silent drivers. And yet, for monogastric species like pigs and poultry, it can be the difference between optimal feed conversion and costly inefficiencies. I’ve spent over three decades in feed process technology, and if there’s one...
1. Introduction Influenza A virus (IAV) is an enveloped RNA virus, a member of the Orthomyxoviri dae family, and is known to infect humans, mammals, and birds [1]. The virus is subtyped based on the antigenic cross-reactivity and sequence identity of two surface glycoproteins, namely, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) [2]. Excluding the recently identified H17N10 and H18N11 in bats, 16 HA and 9NAIAV subtypes have been identified in mammals and birds to date...
ARLINGTON, Va. – The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) is pleased to announce that the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF) unanimously elected Constance Cullman, President & CEO of the AFIA, as chair for 2026–27 in Rome, Italy during the annual IFIF meeting last week. She will succeed...
I. INTRODUCTION Low-protein diets for broiler chickens axiomatically contain high inclusions of supplemental amino acids and have the potential to generate economic, environmental and bird welfare advantages. Low-protein diets are usually formulated by reducing soybean meal inclusions and increasing inclusions of a range of supplemental amino acids. An alternative approach was adopted in the present study where dietary protein levels were reduced by the partial replacement of maize...
1. Introduction Enzymes have been developed as feed additives to improve the digestion and absorption of nutrients. The first phytase products entered the market in 1991 and have since been used extensively in monogastrics. Supplementation with exogenous phytases in cereal vegetable-based diets has been shown to improve monogastric animal production and can also contribute to breaking down phytates. This reduces phosphorus contamination and improves the utilization of phytic...
Introduction Animal production relies on the supply of nutritious feeds supporting high growth, welfare and health of animals and the production of high-quality products in an environmentally sustainable and profitable manner. With feed cost representing 50 to 80% of the total production cost, feed manufacturers have a very important role in the overall economic viability of animal agriculture enterprises. Animal production involves a complex “nutritional supply...
I. INTRODUCTION Whole grain feeding (WGF) involves the partial substitution of ground grain with whole grain in boiler diets. Whole grain (WG), usually wheat, may be added either prior to (prepellet) or following (post-pellet) steam-pelleting. WGF generates heavier and presumably more functional gizzards, which are thought to be the genesis of responses in feed conversion ratios (FCR) and energy utilisation (Liu et al., 2015). However, post-pellet WGF also provides broilers with the...
1. Introduction The term ‘Aflatoxins’ (AFT) typically refers to the sum of variants AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2, while ‘Fumonisins’ (FBs) refers to the sum of variants FB1 and FB2 [1]. These groups are mycotoxins produced by molds of genera Aspergillus spp. and Fusarium spp., which commonly colonize corn [2–4]. The contamination of corn by AFT or FBs (especially the main variant FB1) has health implications for consumers of corn-derived products. The AFT are...
1. Introduction Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important food security and income-generating crop in various areas of the world. Improvements in yields had been obtained by selection of hybrids, mechanisation, irrigation, use of mineral fertilisers and phytosanitary products, leading to an increase in the world production associated with global trades. Besides this agroeconomic system, farmers produce maize as a subsistence crop using local resources. Even in Europe, groups of organic...
I. INTRODUCTION Exogenous feed enzymes were first introduced as commercially-relevant feed additives in the 1980s with an initial focus on reduction of the antinutritional effects of high molecular weight soluble pentosans in wheat- and barley-based diets for young broiler chickens (Bedford & Partridge, 2010). Exogenous phytase was launched in the early 1990s to increase the digestibility of organic phosphorus and to reduce the antinutritional effects of phytic acid (Selle &...
Cereals are an international commodity grown in almost all cultivable regions of the world. The three most important cereals that are destined for human and animal consumption are maize ( Zea mays ), wheat ( Triticum spp.) and rice ( Oryza sativa ). These crops can be affected by biotic and abiotic factors in all phenological stages, affecting quality and final yield. The Fusarium graminearum species complex is the main causal agent of ear...
1. Introduction Wheat is one of the most important staple foods in the world, but it is jeopardized by many toxigenic fungal species that produce large numbers of mycotoxins with diverse chemical structures. In Hungary, the total wheat production area is approximately one million hectares [1], spanning diverse agronomic and climatic conditions. Major toxigenic fungi. Fusarium species are among the main wheat pathogens in Hungary, posing serious risks to animal and human health...