An Eight-Year Survey on Aflatoxin B1 Indicates High Feed Safety in Animal Feed and Forages in Northern Italy

Abstract

Aflatoxins (AFs) remain the main concern for the agricultural and dairy industries due to their effects on the performances and quality of livestock production. Aflatoxins are always unavoidable and should be monitored. The objective of this paper is to bring to light a significant volume of data on AF contamination in several animal feed ingredients in Northern Italy. The Regional Breeders Association of Lombardy has been conducting a survey program to monitor mycotoxin contamination in animal feeds, and in this paper, we present data relating to AFB1 contamination. In most cases (95%), the concentrations were low enough to ensure compliance with the European Union's (EU's) maximum admitted levels for animal feed ingredients. However, the data show a high variability in AF contamination between different matrices and, within the same matrix, a high variability year over year. High levels of AFs were detected in maize and cotton, especially in the central part of the second decade of this century, i.e., 2015-2018, which has shown a higher risk of AF contamination in feed materials in Northern Italy. Variability due to climate change and the international commodity market affect future prospects to predict the presence of AFs. Supplier monitoring and control and reduced buying of contaminated raw materials, as well as performing analyses of each batch, help reduce AF spread.

Keywords: AFB1; aflatoxins; animal feed; maize; monitoring program; mycotoxins.

Figure 1

Aflatoxin B1 mean values over the years from 2013–2020. (A) Aflatoxin B1 mean values for cotton and maize samples over the years from 2013–2020; (B) Aflatoxin B1 mean values for high- moisture maize and silage maize samples over the years from 2013–2020.

Figure 2

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) positive samples over the years from 2013–2020 (positive samples are defined as the number of samples that exceed the legal limit applied by the European Union (>20 µg/kg)). Percentage of positive samples of cotton (blue) and percentage of positive samples of maize (orange).