Managing the risk of mycotoxins in modern feed production

Mycotoxin-contaminated feeds impair farm operations as well as feed production in various ways: mycotoxins are invisible, odourless and cannot be detected by smell or taste, but can reduce performance in animal production significantly. Due to the complex nature of these naturally occurring contaminants and their elaborate analytics a risk-management concept has to be adopted in order to reduce the risk encounter to a defined and acceptable level. The best control is the prevention of mycotoxins in the field, which is supported by proper crop rotation and fungicide administration at the right time. In the case of toxin manifestation, measures are required that act specifically against certain types and groups of toxins. Adsorptive compounds can be used for reduction of potency of mycotoxins in general. While adsorbents have proved to be efficient against some mycotoxin-induced toxicosis, alternative strategies such as enzymatic or microbial detoxification, have been used recently for counteracting impacts of certain fungal toxins. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.