Higher prevalence of Aflatoxins and Fumonisins in 2021 harvested corn from Asia

These corn samples (50 per country) were collected by our distributors between September 2021 and May 2022 and sent to PATENT CO DOO for analysis of multiple mycotoxins. They were all analyzed by LC-MS/MS triple quadrupole (Agilent 6460 series) using a multi-mycotoxin method to quantify all the mycotoxins present, including:

• ⇰ Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), B2, G1 and G2
• ⇰ Ochratoxin A (OTA)
• ⇰ Zearalenone (ZEN)
• ⇰ Deoxynivalenol (DON)
• ⇰ Fumonisin B₁ and B₂ (FB₁ and FB₂)
• ⇰ T-2 and HT-2 toxins

All of these mycotoxins are regulated in the EU in feed by EU Directives 2002/32/EC, 2006/576/EC, and 2013/165/EU.

RESULTS OF MYCOTOXIN LEVELS FOR EACH COUNTRY

THAILAND

In the 2021 harvest, 100% of the corn samples from Thailand were contaminated with 1 or more mycotoxins (Table 1).

• ⇰ ZEN, with an average of 96 ppb, FB₁, with 1352 ppb, FB₂, with 388 ppb, and AFB₁, with 9 ppb, were detected in 2021 harvested corn samples from different regions of Thailand.
• ⇰ AFB₁, FB₁, and FB₂ were the most predominant mycotoxins, as they were detected in 100% of samples, followed by ZEN, which was detected in 25% of the tested corn samples.

INDIA

In the 2021 harvest, 84% of the samples analyzed had 1 or more mycotoxins (Figure 1). Only 16% of the corn samples from India were found to be uncontaminated with mycotoxins.

Table 2 summarizes the different mixtures of mycotoxins found in the corn samples and the maximum concentrations present.

• ⇰ AFB₁, with an average of 56 ppb, AFB₂, with 14 ppb, OTA, with 37 ppb, FB₁, with 717 ppb, and FB₂, with 176 ppb, were detected in 2021 harvested corn samples from different regions of India.
• ⇰ FB₁ was the most predominant mycotoxin, as it was detected in 65% of the samples, followed by AFB₁ (41%) in the tested corn samples.
• ⇰ In the Indian corn samples, DON, ZEN, AFG₁, AFG₂, T-2, and HT-2 were not detected using LC-MS/MS.

PHILIPPINES

In the 2021 harvest, all the corn samples received from the Philippines were contaminated with more than 1 mycotoxin.

• ⇰ AFB₁, with an average of 22 ppb, AFB₂, with 4 ppb, FB₁, with 1042 ppb, and FB₂, with 403 ppb, were detected in the 2021 harvested corn samples from the Philippines (Table 3).
• ⇰ FB₁ was the most predominant mycotoxin, as it was detected in 100% of the tested corn samples, followed by AFB₁, which was detected in 86% of the samples.

TAIWAN

In the 2021 harvest, all the corn samples were contaminated with mycotoxins. Of these, 89% were contaminated with more than 1 mycotoxin and 11% with only one mycotoxin (Figure 2).

Table 4 summarizes the concentrations of the different mycotoxins found.

• ⇰ AFB₁, with an average of 11 ppb, AFB₂, with 2 ppb, ZEN, with 409 ppb, DON, with 512 ppb, FB₁, with 1886 ppb, and FB₂, with 704 ppb, were detected in 2021 harvested corn samples from Taiwan.
• ⇰ FB1 was the most predominant mycotoxin, as it was detected in 87% of samples, followed by DON in 51% and AFB₁, which was detected in 19% of tested corn samples.

VIETNAM

This year, only 21% of the corn samples from Vietnam were found to be uncontaminated with mycotoxins. 12% of samples were contaminated with 1 mycotoxin and 67% with more than 1 mycotoxin (Figure 3). Overall, 79% of the tested corn samples were contaminated with one or multiple mycotoxins.

Table 5 summarizes the means and the maximum concentrations found in these samples.

• ⇰ Fumonisins were detected in 75% of the corn samples, Aflatoxins in 47%, ZEN in 19%, and DON in 21%. Again, there was a co-occurrence of mycotoxins in the samples from Vietnam.
• ⇰ Fumonisins and aflatoxins were the predominant mycotoxins detected.

SUMMARY OF MYCOTOXINS DETECTED IN CORN SAMPLES FROM ASIA

This year, only 7% of corn samples from Asia (India, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam) were found to be uncontaminated with mycotoxins. 13% of samples were contaminated with 1mycotoxin and 80% with more than 1 mycotoxin (Figure 4). Overall, 93% of the tested corn samples were contaminated with one or multiple mycotoxins.

Table 6 summarizes the means and the maximum concentrations found in these samples.

• ⇰ Fumonisins were detected in 80% of the corn samples, Aflatoxins in 42%, ZEN in 11%, DON in 21 %, and OTA was detected in 4% of the corn samples from Asia.
• ⇰ AFB₁ with an average of 47 ppb, AFB₂, with 10 ppb, OTA, with 37 ppb, ZEN, with 662 ppb, DON, with 244 ppb, FB₁, with 800 ppb, and FB₂, with an average of 292 ppb, were detected in the 2021 harvested corn samples from different countries of Asia.

CONCLUSIONS OF THE MYCOTOXINS SURVEY OF CORN SAMPLES FROM ASIA (INDIA, PHILIPPINES, THAILAND, TAIWAN, AND VIETNAM)

On average, 93% of the tested corn samples from different countries of Asia were contaminated with one or multiple mycotoxins.

There was co-occurrence of mycotoxins in the corn samples from India, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Aflatoxins and Fumonisins were the predominant mycotoxins detected in 2021 harvested corn from India, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Previous surveys have also shown that fumonisins and AFB₁ were predominant in Asia.

The co-occurrence of mycotoxins is important as it could lead to additive or, more importantly, synergistic impacts, influencing the growth rate of different animal species. Thus, with the impact of future climate-related environmental changes, mycotoxins will in the future remain very important, with a significant impact on animal health.

From this mycotoxin survey for Asia, mycotoxins remain a topic of concern in animal feed and multi-mycotoxin occurrence continues to be a threat.

Constant monitoring and research on the prevention and/ or remediation of mycotoxin contamination is necessary.

⇰ This requires effective remediation/minimization strategies and regular effective monitoring to reduce impacts in animal feed chains.