How real is the threat of Mycotoxins in our Livestock?

How real is the threat of Mycotoxins in our Livestock?

By: Dennis Garcia, Support Manager South East Asia (Pigs) Alltech

Have you observe a sudden decrease in the growth performance of your growing pigs? Or after using your vaccine for quite a long time suddenly it is no longer working? Sometimes when we encounter issues like this it is very easy to blame it on nutrition and storage management of vaccines.

Have we tried looking into mycotoxins?

Most of time, the problem associated with mycotoxin contaminated animal feed does not show as an acute disease, but a low level toxin ingestion. This can cause an array of metabolic disturbances resulting in poor animal productivity. In various studies, it has been clearly shown that even low level of mycotoxin intake results in reduced feed intake, poor growth rate and feed conversion, lower egg production, changes in carcass quality, reduced fertility and hatchability of eggs and suppression of immunity.

There had been a lot of studies already linking the presence of different mycotoxins contributing to the occurrence of these performance issues in pigs. In 2005, Toranu, et al showed that increasing levels of fumonisins in the pigs diet can lower down the efficacy of Mycoplasma vaccine titer. Fumonisin not only affect the efficacy of vaccine but also it can influence the growth of bacteria like E Coli in the gut (Oswald, 2003).

In the Mycotoxicology Symposium in 2008, it also showed that it can also influence the genetic expression. The presence of Trichothecenes can down regulate the expression of genes responsible for tissue growth and development.

These are new parameters being discovered on how mycotoxins are preventing our farmers from achieving efficient farm performance. This is on top of the known effects of mycotoxins (Zearalenone) in reproductive failure. And the common immune suppression effects of Aflatoxins.

Molds and mycotoxins possess a significant threat for the poultry and livestock productivity and an ongoing risk to feed and food security. With more than 500 mycotoxins discovered, the most significant mycotoxin groups that contaminate our feed and feed stuffs are aflatoxins, ochratoxin, type A and B trichothecenes, zearalenone and fumonisins.

Do you have a mycotoxin program in place?

Many producers try to analyse different mycotoxins in feed ingredients and compound feed through individual analytical assays to keep mycotoxins level under control. Today, instead of analysing just a handful of mycotoxins, an accurate and validated analytical liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is able to identify multiple mycotoxins, including masked and/or conjugated mycotoxins, not detectable by routine analytical methods.

 Although this represents a great step in terms of mycotoxin analytical research, its practical application in the field was limited. 

Alltech has developed a unique “ALLTECH MYCOTOXIN MANAGEMENT” program which incorporates risk assessment and evaluation - through analysis of a number of mycotoxins (ALLTECH 37+™), generating customised reports and recommendations on the basis of farm and feed mill audits utilising principles of HACCP through Mycotoxin Hazard Analysis Program (ALLTECH MIKO). 

ALLTECH 37+™ analysis uses UPLC-MS/MS technology to analyse more than 37 mycotoxins from a single sample at a time and consider the mycotoxin challenge present in each sample as a whole, rather than looking at the individual mycotoxins. This way, it estimate the challenges faced by producers around the world more precisely.

Through ALLTECH 37+™ analysis, it has been observed that multiple mycotoxin contamination is the reality faced by pig producers around the world, however exact prevalence varies among various crops in different geographical regions, depending upon cropping pattern, environmental variations, handling and storage conditions.

Alltech conducted a mycotoxin survey in 2014 to know the extent of mycotoxin contamination in our feed diets and it was found out that all of the diets a contaminated with at least 6 types of mycotoxins.  Fumonisin is detected in 100% of the sample, Aflatoxin and Fusaric Acid is present in 80% and Zearalenone and Trichotecene B contaminates 40% of the samples.

Since all species and life stages of animal including bird’s are susceptible to mycotoxins to varying degrees, samples analysed through the ALLTECH 37+™ program are given a Risk Equivalent Quantity (REQ) – “One number which takes into account the cumulative effect of different mycotoxins and measures the overall risk to the target species”.

In the last year’s survey we also did an REQ evaluation on the diets in the different stage of pig production. 77% of the samples for the diets in the Nursery pigs showed a high risk equivalent for the presence of the different mycotoxins. Meanwhile for the diets for breeders we only analyzed 18.5% of the samples are at high risk and in the finishing pigs, we only got medium risk in 59% of the samples.

Establishing a "safe" level of mycotoxins is literally impossible. The individual response to mycotoxins is influenced by a number of factors such as nutritional adequacy of the diet, species and age of the animal/bird, environmental and disease stress and the type of mycotoxins present. Numerous studies have demonstrated that various mycotoxins found in combination have more severe effects upon than the individual mycotoxins alone. The feed industry should make all effort to eliminate or reduce the incidence and severity of mycotoxin contamination at every point in the production cycle.

The use of HACCP principles to control mycotoxins is highly recommended at feed mills and farms so that factors such as moisture and water activity of grains, temperature and relative humidity of environment are taken care off. Better aeration of storage silos and frequent cleaning of feed mill equipment is desirable to control mold growth and mycotoxin production. This is the basis of ALLTECH MIKO program – a comprehensive and integrated approach designed to control mycotoxicosis

The threat of mycotoxins preventing our pig farms in achieving their performance targets is real and we need to be aware and have the knowledge how we can control mycotoxin contamination in our feeds.

Have we looked into the cost of mycotoxicosis?

Using meta-analysis of results from over 29 published studies has calculated that there is a reduction of about 16.3 g/day on average daily gain and an addition of 0.03 FCR points on feed conversion rate for piglets with mycotoxin challenge (REQ = 52.2). This translate to a reduction of $2.46/pig(Php110.70) on margins over feed. In a mycotoxin challenged grower finisher having 135.1 Risk Equivalent Quantity (REQ) Value there is 40.53 g/day reduction on average daily gain and 0.011additional FCR points on feed conversion rate. This is a $12.99/pig or Php584.55 reduction on margins over feed.

Are you achieving your growth targets? Is your vaccination program working properly?

With Alltech Mycotoxin Management, it can save you from losing 2.36grams/day on ADG and 0.11 points on FCR in piglets. For growers, it can save you from losing 28.4grams/day on ADG and 0.01 points on FCR. Estimated ROI can be at 1.7:1 for piglets at 2kg inclusion per ton of feed and for growers ROI will be at 4.5:1 with 1.5kg inclusion per ton of feed.

Effective mycotoxin management is about seeing the whole challenge. From the farm to the feedmill and from risk assessment to feed management, Alltech MYCOTOXIN MANAGEMENT can help you safeguard the health of your animals, the quality of your feed and the security of our food supply.

Your herd is your business. Protecting it is ours.

Check your herds mycotoxins levels!