CAC/RCP 45-1997 Code of Practice for the Reduction of Aflatoxin B1 in Raw Materials and Supplemental Feedingstuffs for Milk-Producing Animals
1. BACKGROUND
1.1 Aflatoxin B1 contamination of animal feedingstuffs can be a very serious problem, occurring in part due to inadequate storage conditions. Contamination may also occur at the preharvest stage and be exacerbated by inadequate storage conditions. Good cropping practices, use of seed varieties bred for resistance to seed infecting fungi and insect pests as well as the use of appropriate approved pesticides represent reasonable preventive measures to control contamination in the field. Even with application of these practices, conditions created by the environment and/or traditional agricultural procedures may defeat any preventative measures.
1.2 Practices that reduce aflatoxin B1 contamination in the field and after harvest should be an integral part of animal feedingstuff production, particularly for the export market because of the additional handling and transport steps required to get the product to the final destination. The factors most amenable for prevention of fungal infection and aflatoxin B1 production involve proper drying and storage of the feedingstuff prior to transport. The problems created by too much moisture are magnified greatly by deficient post harvest crop handling techniques.
1.3 Investigations concerning the biological fate of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in lactating dairy cattle have demonstrated the transmission of residues into milk, occurring as the metabolite aflatoxin M1 (AFM1). Although AFM1 is considered to be less carcinogenic than AFB1 by at least an order of magnitude, its presence in dairy products should be limited to the lowest level practicable. The amount of daily ingested AFB1 which is transferred into milk is in the range of 0.17 to 3.3%.
