Ochratoxin A occurrence in slaughter-pigs in Sweden and its use as a tool for feed screening programs

Abstract

The occurrence of ochratoxin A in pig blood can be used as a measure of ochratoxin A contamination of the feed. A method for ochratoxin A analysis in pig blood, suitable for screening programs, is presented. The relationship between ochratoxin A contents in the blood of pigs and the feed given is investigated with feeding experiments. Blood samples from pigs originating from 279 herds slaughtered in nine slaughter-houses in Sweden were analyzed for ochratoxin A. In total, 14% of the investigated pigs contained greater than or equal to 2 ng ochratoxin A per ml blood. The highest level found was 215 ng/mL. Correlations between the occurrence of ochratoxin A in the blood and parameters concerning the feed are investigated.