LEXINGTON, KY. — Weather conditions across the United States in 2023 posed a range of mycotoxin risks for corn products, the most used farm- and mill-based ingredient in dog and cat food by volume. According to Alltech, which maintains a comprehensive mycotoxin management platform that benefits farmers, food producers and animal feeds across the country, drought conditions combined with high rainfall have resulted in an increase of risk for some mycotoxins.
While aflatoxin is often tested for in pet food ingredients, deoxynivalenol, ochratoxin, zearalenone and fumonisin also pose a safety risk to dog and cat food. By analyzing 418 crop samples taken between August 30 and November 16 from coast to coast, Alltech determined that the overall mycotoxin risk for corn grain and silage was lower in 2023 compared to recent years, but “pockets of increased risk” remain for some. regions.
This test showed that mycotoxin risk decreased overall in the upper Midwest region and increased in the eastern United States, especially for deoxynivalenol.
“Drought in the Southwest and Western Corn Belt has created unique fumonisin hazards in this region, while further east, late-season rains have created ideal conditions for Fusarium toxins, such as type B trichothecenes, to thrive,” explains Max Hawkins, Ph.D., technical support manager on Alltech’s mycotoxin management team.
Higher mycotoxin risk is expected in the East and Midwest, particularly for Fusarium and deoxynivalenol. In Iowa, Alltech noted a “shockingly high risk of aflatoxin B1,” as well as the presence of Penicillium in grain products.
According to the analysis of 190 corn grain samples taken between September 5 and November 21, 2023, the average mycotoxin level per sample was 4.4, and 87% of the samples contained high mycotoxins. Alltech broke this risk down by species, including pets, to determine approximately 48.4% of the samples that would affect dog and cat food were considered low risk, 18.4% were considered moderate risk, and 33.2% were considered high risk.
Most corn enters storage at about 14% moisture in 2023, according to Alltech, but it will still be important to test and monitor mycotoxin levels once they are removed from storage, because ” ingredients are rarely in better condition than when they were harvested,” Hawkins said. Alltech advises animal feed producers to test corn silage for mycotoxin levels every 60 to 90 days to stay at the peak of risk volatility.
Read more from Alltech’s 2023 US Harvest Analysis Report.
Read more about pet food safety.
