Abstract #T343

# T343
Occurrence of mycotoxins in corn samples collected in the United States in 2014.
Simone Schaumberger*1, Paula Kovalsky1, Michael Sulyok2, Ursula Hofstetter1, 1Biomin Holding GmbH, Herzogenburg, Austria, 2University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Department IFA Tulln, Vienna, Austria.

Mycotoxin occurrence in agricultural commodities is a worldwide phenomenon and poses a risk to human and animal health. A mycotoxin survey was conducted to raise awareness of the incidence of mycotoxins in cereals intended for animal feed. The focus of this study is to compare the extent of mycotoxin contamination in corn samples from 27 states in the United States in 2014. During harvest 507 corn samples were collected and analyzed for aflatoxins (Afla), zearalenone (ZEN), deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisins (FUM), T-2 toxin (T-2) and ochratoxin A (OTA). Samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, high performance liquid chromatography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.In total, 87% of samples tested were positive for the major mycotoxins mentioned above and out of those 36% were co-contaminated with more than one mycotoxin. The most frequently occurring mycotoxin was DON with a prevalence of 62% and an average value of 1,441 ppb. DON concentrations exceeding the respective FDA threshold (1,000 ppb; 8%) could be predominantly found in samples deriving from several northern states, California and Florida. FUM occurred in 55% of all samples tested with average value of 4,512 ppb. The FDA threshold for FUM (5,000 ppb) was exceeded in 4% of the samples. Afla and ZEN were detected in about 20% of the samples with average contamination levels of 35 and 484 ppb, respectively. Compared with the other mycotoxins, prevalence of T-2 toxin was low (13%), whereas OTA was not detected at all. Our results demonstrate a significant mycotoxin contamination of US corn harvested in 2014. Overall, the most frequently occurring mycotoxin was DON. FUM ranked second among the 6 mycotoxins analyzed. Owing to the fact that both DON and FUM have the potential to cause subclinical health effects in animals even at comparably low levels in feed (Antonissen et al., 2014), these 2 mycotoxins can be regarded as relevant threat for US livestock productivity. Occurrence of more than one mycotoxin was observed in around one third of the samples. Hence, due to potential additive and synergistic effects, special attention should be paid to co-occurrence of mycotoxins in animal feed (Grenier and Oswald, 2011).

Key Words: mycotoxin, survey, corn