Corn
What level of aflatoxin is harmful?
Aflatoxin is a chemical by-product of the growth of the fungus Aspergillus flavus on corn kernels. Aflatoxin may be harmful to animals which ingest contaminated corn.
Mississippi corn producers occasionally have corn rejected at grain elevators because of high aflatoxin levels. Scientific evidence indicates that corn containing less than 20 ppb aflatoxin is not injurious to the health of animals or humans. Thus, grain elevators should readily accept grain not exceeding 20 ppb aflatoxin. Some grain elevators may accept grain exceeding this level, but this grain must be handled separately and designated for specific end use.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has established action levels for aflatoxin present in food or feed. These limits are established by the FDA to provide an adequate margin of safety to protect human and animal health. The MSU Extension Service recommendations follow these guidelines for corn used for food or feed purposes.
The MSU Extension Service also does not recommend feeding corn to wildlife.
FDA ACTION LEVELS FOR AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATED CORN ARE:
- 20 ppb: Food use by humans, feed for immature animals, dairy animals or unknown end use
- 100 ppb: Feed for breeding cattle, breeding swine or mature poultry
- 200 ppb: Feed for finishing swine (100 lbs. or greater)
- 300 ppb: Feed for finishing beef cattle
