Mycotoxin Matters

Unfortunately, it is not possible to entirely prevent the production of mycotoxins before harvest of agricultural crops, in storage or during processing operations. Nevertheless, consulting nutritionists and veterinarians, along with applying mycotoxin management solutions, can help to minimise the effects of mycotoxin challenges.

In our latest episode, we are joined by Alltech's Feed Mill Specialist, Josh Teulker, to help you prepare your feed mill for the upcoming harvest season. 

Produced by moulds and fungi, eliminating poor-quality ingredients can help control mycotoxins in dairy cow feed intake. However, due to the invisible nature of these toxic compounds, even without signs of mould, there can still be a threat of contamination, making mycotoxin detection more complex. We are joined by Elite Dairy Advisor, Dr. Luke Miller, to learn how to manage mycotoxins in a dairy herd. 

Did you know mycotoxins can also be present in fish? Today, we are joined by Alltech's International Project Manager for aquaculture,  John Sweetman, to look into the topic of mycotoxin contamination in this species. 

Pigs are particularly susceptible to the risk posed by mycotoxins. Ingestion of contaminated feed may impair a pig’s cellular and tissue integrity, leading to an unhealthy imbalance of different physiological systems. These cause organ malfunction that results in depressed pig performance, decreased immunity and reduced health status. We welcome back Dr. Radka Borutova in this episode, to explore the topic of recognising the warning signs of mycotoxins in pigs. 

What do we know so far about gut health and mycotoxins? Today, we are joined by Dr. Alexandra Weaver to explore this complex topic; including a discussion on ways different mycotoxins can affect gut health and why this is so important to animal health and performance. 

The climate impact on crop quality and subsequent mycotoxin contamination poses a continuous risk to healthy and efficient ruminant production. This mycotoxin risk can be further increased by harvest and storage conditions that are less than ideal.

Although mycotoxins are an unavoidable problem, some key management practices can help reduce the risk attached to forages and ruminant feeds. We are joined by Dr. Max Hawkins for a discussion on how to manage the mycotoxin challenge in forages. 

Brian Springer, certified crop advisor, joins us for a discussion around growing crops and what can be done to reduce the risk of mycotoxins that we see in our feedstuffs.  

Join us for part 2 of our discussion on climate change and mycotoxins. In this episode we are joined by Dr. Radka Borutova, European Technical Support Manager for Alltech Mycotoxin Management, as we delve deeper into the area of climate change and explore exactly how climate change will affect mycotoxins in feed and food. 

In our second episode, we are joined by Dr. Dulmelis Sandu, Poultry Veterinarian, for a discussion on why mycotoxin exposure should be considered as one of the potential causes of immunosuppression in animals, in particular, poultry.