Awareness of mycotoxins and occurrence of aflatoxins in poultry feeds and feed ingredients in selected regions of Uganda

Abstract

Background: Aflatoxins are a category of mycotoxins produced by certain molds naturally occurring as food and feed contaminants with toxic effects to both animals and humans. In Uganda, previous studies on aflatoxins mainly considered human foods, but scarce information exists for animal feeds. The study aimed at establishing the current status of aflatoxins contamination of poultry feeds, level of awareness and the existing technological challenges and innovations to mycotoxin control in Uganda. Method: Mycotoxin awareness, predisposing factors and existing strategies for managing mycotoxin contamination were investigated through focus group discussions and questionnaires with selected processors and farmers. Poultry feed and feed ingredient samples were collected and analyzed for total aflatoxins using VICAM Fluorimeter procedure for foods and animal feeds. Results: Majority of the farmers and processors (> 50%) had limited knowledge about aflatoxins; contamination predisposing factors; dangers to animals and humans; and mitigation strategies. The study further revealed poor feed and feed ingredients handling and storage practices that predispose to mold/aflatoxin contamination. Forty feed samples from feed processing plants had aflatoxins in the range 7.5 ± 0.71 to 393.5 ± 19.09 parts per billion (ppb) with only twelve samples being within the generally acceptable limits of 20 ppb as recommended by the Food and Agricultural Organisation and the United States Federal Department of Agriculture. Additionally, all 27 feed samples obtained from the farmers had aflatoxins in the range of 19.0 ± 1.41 to 188.5 ± 2.12 ppb and were above the acceptable limit. Generally, broiler feeds were the most contaminated with aflatoxins. Of the feed ingredients tested, silver fish (Rastrineobola argentea, locally known as "mukene") had the least concentration (8.7 ± 3.18 ppb) of aflatoxins while maize bran had the highest level of contamination, 103.3 ± 22.98 ppb.

Worldwide aflatoxin contamination of agricultural products and foods: From occurrence to control

“…(2018) found that aflatoxin awareness was deficient among uneducated and socially unexposed farmers in Tanzania. Similar low awareness levels are reported from Ethiopia and Uganda (Guchi, 2015; Nakavuma et al., 2020). Studies in Vietnam and Nigeria also reported similar low aflatoxin‐related awareness among consumers (Adekoya et al., 2017; Lee et al., 2017).…”

Improved Sample Selection and Preparation Methods for Sampling Plans Used to Facilitate Rapid and Reliable Estimation of Aflatoxin in Chicken Feed

“…Eighteen 25 g aliquots were randomly assigned to a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement i.e., 9 aliquots for each of the two milling methods and three aliquots randomly selected for spiking to achieve three levels of AFB1 (0, 20 or 100 ppb). The EU legal AFB1 residue limits in feed for adult poultry and young animals are 20 and 10 ppb respectively (EU, 2002), but in tropical countries it is common to find feed naturally contaminated with 100 ppb AFB1 and above [ 13 , 15 , 18 , 19 ]. Of the 9 aliquots assigned to each group, 3 sets each of 3 aliquots were randomly selected for either of the three AFB1 levels.…”

“…Levels of 36 ppb (mean) aflatoxin B1 was observed in Sudan [ 12 ], 100 ppb (mean) in India [ 13 ], 10–166 ppb aflatoxin in Pakistan [ 14 ], 74 ppb (mean) in Nigeria [ 15 ], 2.7 ppb (median) in Argentina [ 16 ] and 20–50 ppb in Kenya [ 17 ]. Recently, aflatoxin levels of 7.5–393.5 ppb in feed processing plants samples and 19.0–188.5 ppb in samples collected from farmers in Uganda [ 18 ] and 0.2–318 ppb in 2020 in Kenya were reported [ 19 ]. Maximum allowable limits for aflatoxin content in human food and animal feed have been established in more than 100 countries [ 20 ].…”

The in vitro Efficacy of Two Microbial Strains and Physicochemical Effects on their Aflatoxin Decontamination in Poultry Feeds

“…Indeed, a previous study in Uganda revealed poultry feed contamination with aflatoxins at levels between 7.5 ± 0.71 and 393. 5 ± 19.09 µg/kg; with only 17.9% passing the FDA limits [10]. Unfortunately, there is limited monitoring and enforcement of the regulations for management of mycotoxin contamination in the animal feed industry in Uganda.…”