AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION OF AUSTRALIAN ANIMAL FEEDS AND SUSPECTED CASES OF MYCOTOXICOSIS

Abstract

Aflatoxin B₁ was detected in 23 of 55 Australian feedstuffs known to be either water damaged or visibly mouldy. The highest contamination was 0.7 mg/kg of feed and the mean concentration 0.14 mg/kg. Of 36 feedstuffs purchased from local manufacturers, only a peanut meal contained aflatoxin B₁ (0.5 mg/kg). Eleven feedstuffs were associated with field outbreaks of animal disease and 7 of these contained aflatoxin. However, the level of aflatoxin contamination was insufficient to account for the described disease symptoms.