Research Publications (Food Safety)

Abstract In 2004, the EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) adopted a Scientific Opinion on the risks to animal health and transfer from feed to food of animal origin related to the presence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in feed. The European Commission requested EFSA to assess newly available scientific information and to update the 2004 Scientific Opinion. OTA is produced by several fungi of the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium.

Brevetoxins (PbTxs) are emerging marine toxins that can lead to Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning in humans by the ingestion of contaminated seafood. Recent reports on brevetoxin detection in shellfish in regions where it has not been described before, arise the need of updated guidelines to ensure seafood consumers safety. Our aim was to provide toxicological data for brevetoxin 3 (PbTx3) by assessing oral toxicity in mice and comparing it with intraperitoneal administration.

The aim of this survey was to compare the occurrence and contamination levels of six major mycotoxin categories found in corn and corn by-product feed ingredients harvested in the United States from 2018 through 2022. Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites that can negatively impact animal health and performance and have been routinely found in a variety of feedstuffs including, but not limited to, cereal grains, by-products, silages, dry hays and pasture grasses.

Algal toxins pose a serious threat to human and coastal ecosystem health, even if their potential impacts are poorly documented in New Caledonia (NC). In this survey, bivalves and seawater (concentrated through passive samplers) from bays surrounding Noumea, NC, collected during the warm and cold seasons were analyzed for algal toxins using a multi-toxin screening approach. Several groups of marine microalgal toxins were detected for the first time in NC.

The current research was conducted to determine and frequency of aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2), in main feed ingredients (corn and soybean meal) and poultry finished feed (in mash and pellet forms). Eighty-five samples of corn, soybean meal, and poultry finished feed was randomly collected from feed mills in Iran.

Mycotoxin contamination of corn is a pervasive problem that negatively impacts human and animal health and causes economic losses to the agricultural industry worldwide.

Abstract Background Paralytic shellfish poisoning caused by human consumption of shellfish fed on toxic algae is a public health hazard. It is imperative to implement shellfish monitoring programs to minimize the possibility of shellfish contaminated by paralytic shellfish toxins (PST) reaching the marketplace. Results A rapid detection method for PST in mussels using near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology has been proposed.

Organic acids and essential oils are commonly used in the poultry industry as antimicrobials and for their beneficial effects on gut health, growth performance, and meat quality. A common postharvest storage fungal colonist, Aspergillus flavus, contaminates corn, the primary component of poultry feed, with the highly detrimental mycotoxin, aflatoxin.

Food and feed contamination with mycotoxins is a major public health concern. Humans and animals are exposed to these toxins by consuming contaminated products throughout their lives. In this study, a method based on dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME), followed by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (LC-FLD), was validated for the determination of aflatoxins (AFs) M1, B1, B2, G1, G2, zearalenone (ZEN), and ochratoxin A (OTA).

Deoxynivalenol (DON), a trichothecene mycotoxin, is one of the most prevalent mycotoxins globally, primarily produced by Fusarium species. DON exposure could cause a range of symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, gastroenteritis, growth retardation, immunosuppression, and intestinal flora disorders in both humans and animals. Recently, ozone degradation technology has been applied for DON control. However, the safety of the contaminated grain after degradation was often ignored.

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of mycotoxin mitigation product containing yeast extract on intestinal health and growth of newly weaned pigs under chronic dietary challenges of fumonisin and aflatoxin. Newly weaned pigs (n = 48; 21 days old; 6.4 ± 0.3 kg BW) were allotted to 4 treatments based on randomized complete block design with initial BW and sex as blocks and fed for 32 d in 3 phases (P1/2/3 for 11/11/10 days, respectively).

Mycotoxins in feed are known to negatively affect growth and other physiological processes in pigs. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of feeding diets with varying levels of mycotoxins and boron (a nutrient reported to mitigate some aspects of mycotoxicosis). Screenings from the 2020 crop year corn contained mycotoxin levels of 23,038 ppb total fumonisin, 1,446 ppb zearalenone, and 5,032 ppb total deoxynivalenol (DON)l.

The effects of feeding corn fines (screenings) containing mycotoxin levels at greater than the FDA cautionary levels were evaluated using crossbred pigs [n = 150, 90 barrows and 60 gilts; mean initial body weight (BW) = 6.42 ± 0.06 kg; n =] that were blocked by BW and sex, randomly allotted within block to 6 dietary treatments, and housed 5 pigs/pen resulting in a total of 5 replicates.

This study evaluated effects of an algae-clay-based mycotoxin decontaminant on levels of zearalenone (ZEN), deoxynivalenol (DON) and their derivatives in the colostrum, milk, and serum of sows, as well as in the serum of weaned piglets after maternal mycotoxin exposure from the last week of gestation to weaning (26 days).

Changes occurred in the last two pandemic years that resulted in tremendous pressures on feedstuff supply. In Canada, causes for reduced cereal, pulse, and oilseed grain supply included a failed crop harvest in Western Canada in 2021 and increased demand for plant protein for food ingredients and for plant oils for cooking and renewable diesel added further pressure.

For the purpose of assessing human health exposure, it is necessary to characterize the toxins present in a given area and their potential impact on commercial species.

Mycotoxins present a significant health concern within the animal-feed industry, with profound implications for the pig-farming sector.

The first ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) in Portugal dates from 2008 when 11 people reported CFP symptoms after consuming a 30 kg amberjack caught around the Selvagens Islands (Madeira Archipelago). Since then, 49 human poisonings have been reported. The emergence of a new threat challenged scientists and regulators, as methods for toxic microalgae analyses and ciguatoxin (CTX) detection were not implemented.

The intake of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) may adversely affect human health. Therefore, this study aimed to show the prevalence of PSTs from commercially available shellfish in Zhejiang Province, China, during the period of frequent red tides, investigate the factors affecting the distribution of PSTs, and assess the risk of PST intake following the consumption of bivalve shellfish among the Zhejiang population.

Zearalenone (ZEA) is widely present in food and feed, and pigs are susceptible to its effects. This study explored the underlying function of ZEA-induced apoptosis in porcine endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) through activation of the JNK signaling pathway and mitochondrial division. This study utilized ESCs to explore the impact of exposure to ZEA. A mitochondrial division inhibitor (Mdivi) was also included as a reference.

Abstract Maize grain production in the tropics is affected by Fusarium verticillioides, leading to significant losses in yield and quality. Fungicides are commonly used to control foliar diseases and increase grain yield, but have limited efficacy against F. verticillioides and may even stimulate the fungus to produce mycotoxins. Biocontrol can reduce F.

Karenia mikimotoi is a common species of red tide dinoflagellate that causes the mass mortality of marine fauna in coastal waters of Republic of Korea. Despite continuous studies on the ecophysiology and toxicity of K. mikimotoi, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Red sea bream, Pagrus major, is a high-value aquaculture fish species, and the coastal aquaculture industry of red sea bream has been increasingly affected by red tides.

Atrazine, a herbicide, is used for eradication of broad-leaved herbs in corn crop; and ochratoxins, particularly ochratoxin A (OTA), are major pollutants of poultry diet. Existence of both of these hazardous chemicals as residues is obvious as elucidated by various epidemiological findings. The present study was designed to investigate toxicopathological, serum biochemical and immunological alterations incurred by atrazine alone and/or, in combination with OTA in broilers.

Aflatoxins pose a severe risk to the human health. In this study, the detoxifying capacity of a thermal cooking treatment applied to white and brown rice spiked with aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 as well as the aflatoxin bioaccessibility in cooked rice after applying an in vitro digestion model was evaluated.

Zearalenone (ZEN), a non-steroidal estrogenic fungal toxin widely present in forage, food, and their ingredients, poses a serious threat to animal and human reproductive health. ZEN also threatens ovine, a major source of human food and breeding stock. However, the mechanisms underlying the impact of ZEN on the in vitro maturation (IVM) of ovine oocytes remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate these mechanisms using the Smart-seq2 technology.