Raw feed materials may contain various levels of mycotoxins that originate from moulds and that can have adverse effects on animal health and productivity. In an attempt to establish a practical way of eliminating these mycotoxins during post-harvest storage, we found that short-term (up to 30 min) irradiation of UV (intensity: 2.5 mW/cm2 at 254 nm UV-C) was effective for decreasing levels of deoxynivalenol (DON) to a certain extent in corn silage. Stirring the silage periodically at 5-min intervals during the irradiation enhanced the UV effect. However, the irradiation also reduced the concentrations of β-carotene (a pro-vitamin A) and α-tocopherol (vitamin E) in the silage. Although further improvement is needed to minimize damage to feed nutrients, short-term UV irradiation with intermittent stirring appears to be a promising on-farm method for reducing levels of mycotoxins, especially DON, in feedstuffs.
(Safety Research Team, TEL +81-29-838-7708)
Reference:
Murata, H., et al. (2008) Food Addi. Contam. 25: 1107-1110.
