Mycotoxin Contamination of Selected Organic Enrichment Materials Used in Pig Farming

Krista Marie Tenbrink, Jochen Schulz and Nicole Kemper
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Krista Marie Tenbrink: Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour (ITTN), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15 (Building 116), 30173 Hannover, Germany
Jochen Schulz: Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour (ITTN), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15 (Building 116), 30173 Hannover, Germany
Nicole Kemper: Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour (ITTN), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15 (Building 116), 30173 Hannover, Germany

Agriculture, 2020, vol. 10, issue 11, 1-13

Abstract: Abnormal behavior, such as tail biting, is a fundamental problem in pig husbandry worldwide, and the application of enrichment materials, particularly organic materials, is one of the most promising preventive and curative measures. However, the potential health risks posed by these materials, such as being an additional source of mycotoxins, have not been sufficiently studied to date. Therefore, 21 different organic enrichment materials were tested for mycotoxin contamination with a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry multi-mycotoxin method. Concerning the legally regulated mycotoxins in the EU, aflatoxin B 1 and ochratoxin A were not detected in any of the tested materials. Fumonisin B 2 was detected in straw meal made of wheat, rye, and triticale, but the level (0.014 mg/kg) was very low. The level of deoxynivalenol in maize pellets (5.01 mg/kg) and maize silage (2.12 mg/kg) exceeded the guidance value for pig feed. Zearalenone was present at high levels in maize pellets (1.21 mg/kg), hay (0.30 mg/kg), and maize silage (0.25 mg/kg). Maize products showed high levels of mycotoxins presenting a health risk for pigs and cannot be recommended as enrichment material.

Keywords: deoxynivalenol; fumonisin; fungi; maize; ochratoxin; zearalenone (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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