Regulatory aspects of fumonisins with respect to animal feed. Animal derived residues in foods.

The fumonisins are a recently discovered class of mycotoxins produced primarily by Fusarium (F.) moniliforme and F. proliferatum. Fumonisins present in mycotoxin-contaminated feed have been identified as the causative agent of equine leukoencephalomalacia and porcine pulmonary edema. To prevent these diseases, FDA has utilized informal guidance levels for fumonisins in feed and initiated a surveillance program for fumonisins in feed corn and corn by-products during FY 93 and 94. Natural contaminants present in animal feed can enter the human food supply as residues present in animal tissues and other animal derived products. Although fumonisin guidance levels were originally set based on animal safety, FDA also ensures the human food safety of animal products from animals fed mycotoxin-contaminated feed. Recent pharmacokinetic studies in food-producing animals as well as statutory requirements for regulating natural toxins will be discussed in light of FDA's human food safety mandate.

An analytical survey of aflatoxins in tissues from swine grown in regions reporting 1988 aflatoxin-contaminated corn.

A joint project was undertaken by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Agriculture Research Service branches of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine the presence of aflatoxins in the U.S. meat supply during a drought year. In 1988, high incidences of aflatoxins occurred in corn grown in regions of the Midwest, Southeast, and South. Six states were identified as having serious aflatoxin contamination in their corn crop: Virginia, North and South Carolina, Texas, Iowa, and Illinois. Swine liver and pillars of diaphragm (muscle) tissues were sampled by federal FSIS Inspectors in plants located in these states. A worstcase sampling plan was conducted. Samples were taken in January 1989 from hogs fed corn soon after harvest and in April 1989 from hogs fed corn originally stored and then fed in the spring. A modification of the official AOAC method for the thin-layer chromatography (TLC) determination of aflatoxins in animal tissue was used to permit quantitation by LC with fluorescence detection. The official AOAC TLC confirmation of identity method was used to confirm all positive samples with B1 concentrations greater than 0.04 ppb and M1 concentrations greater than 0.1 ppb. Sixty samples in the January group and 100 samples in the April group were assayed. Concentrations of aflatoxins B1 and M1 in the first group of pig livers ranged from 0.04 to 0.06 ppb. The identity of aflatoxin B1 was confirmed in all positive samples. Aflatoxin M1 could not be confirmed in any of the positive liver samples because the method was insufficiently sensitive for this aflatoxin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)