Marianne Lauwers

1. IntroductionBroiler chickens and pigs are highly exposed to mycotoxins due to their cereal based diet. These toxins are mainly produced by Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium fungal species. [1]. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most important aflatoxin with regards to potency and occurrence. Poultry are highly sensitive to the hepatotoxic and hepatocarcinogenic effects of AFB1. At lower doses, re ...

The biggest challenge in the mitigation of toxins contamination is the ability to properly detect the risk we are confronted with.... The presence of mycotoxins in feed impairs animal health and performance leading to economic losses.. Monitoring mycotoxin exposure is important to diminish associated losses.Up till now, mycotoxins are mostly determined in feed. Feed analysis gives a good indicatio ...

Crops can be contaminated with mycotoxins already on the field (pre-harvest) or during transport, storage or processing (post-harvest). A survey of mycotoxin contamination in Europe and Asia showed that deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) are 2 of the most important mycotoxins in Europe based on occurrence and toxicity. Both toxins belong to the group of fusariotoxins produced by Fusarium s ...