From data to decisions: Mycotoxinsite launches a new global mycotoxin risk map

Mycotoxin contamination is neither uniform nor static.

It varies among countries, growing seasons, crops, and weather conditions, making access to updated regional data essential for effective risk management.

Available in English and Spanish, this new tool transforms analytical results into an accessible visual resource that allows users to explore mycotoxin occurrence by year and country.

By combining contamination data with species-specific risk levels, the map is designed to support faster, better-informed decisions throughout the feed and livestock production chain.

MYCOTOXINS: AN INVISIBLE CHALLENGE WITH VISIBLE CONSEQUENCES

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by certain species of fungi, particularly those belonging to the Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium.

They can contaminate crops in the field, during harvest, or throughout storage and feed processing.

Corn is especially vulnerable because it can be affected by several mycotoxigenic fungi under a wide range of environmental conditions. As a result, it may contain multiple mycotoxins—sometimes simultaneously.

Unlike visible mold growth, mycotoxins cannot usually be detected through a simple visual inspection. Furthermore, the absence of visible mold does not guarantee that a raw material is free from contamination.

Mycotoxin effects on animals depend on several factors, including:

• Type and concentration of the mycotoxin
• Duration of exposure
• Animal species
• Age
• Physiological status
• Health condition
• Presence of other contaminants

Exposure to mycotoxins can lead to a gradual and sometimes difficult-to-identify deterioration in performance, and may also reduce resilience to infectious and environmental challenges, contributing to inconsistent results even when diets appear nutritionally adequate.

Species susceptibility is also highly variable.

A GLOBAL VIEW WITH COUNTRY-LEVEL DETAIL

The new Mycotoxinsite map provides an immediate overview of the mycotoxin situation detected in corn samples from different parts of the world.

Users can filter the available information by year and country, allowing them to compare geographical areas and observe how contamination patterns evolve over time as new surveys are incorporated.

Countries for which data are available are highlighted on the global map. By clicking on a country, users can access a detailed table containing key indicators for the principal mycotoxins detected, including:

• Average concentration
• Maximum concentration
• Median concentration
• Minimum concentration
• Prevalence

• ⇒An average value offers an overall picture but may be influenced by a limited number of highly contaminated samples
• ⇒The median helps describe the central tendency of the dataset with less sensitivity to extreme results.
• ⇒The maximum reveals the level reached by the most contaminated sample.
• ⇒Prevalence indicates how frequently each mycotoxin was detected within the samples analyzed.

Together, these values provide a more complete interpretation than any single figure considered in isolation.

The map also displays the estimated risk level for major animal-production species:

• Poultry
• Swine
• Ruminants
• Aquaculture species

A clear color-coded system classifies the situation aslow, moderate, high or critical risk.

This makes complex analytical information easier to interpret and highlights an essential principle of mycotoxin management: the same contaminated ingredient may not represent the same risk for every animal.

WHY PERIODIC SURVEILLANCE MATTERS

A mycotoxin survey is a snapshot of a specific crop, region, and period.

It does not replace the analysis of individual raw materials or finished feeds, but it provides valuable context for:

• Designing sampling plans
• Prioritizing analytical resources
• Evaluating suppliers
• Determining where closer monitoring may be necessary