Objective The aflatoxins are highly toxic fungal metabolites, which have a deleterious effect on the health and productivity of animals and man alike, and which occur in a wide range of oilseeds and cereals used as animal feeds. The carry-over of the aflatoxins from dairy feed into milk is of special concern to those responsible for the protection of public health. It is essential, therefore, that effective monitoring methods are established which facilitate the accurate estimation of the aflatoxin content of large consignments of animal feedingstuffs entering the Community; and which accommodate the uneven distribution of the aflatoxins in oilseeds and cereals.The primary objective of this project is the development and testing of accurate, precise and practicable sampling procedures for the determination of the aflatoxins in large consignments of selected animal feedingstuffs, namely: copra meal pellets, copra cake, palm kernel cake and corn gluten feed pellets. Sample preparation methods, for the conversion of composite samples to laboratory samples, will also be developed and evaluated.Over two thousand incremental samples have been collected from twenty seven 500 tonne batches of the selected feedingstuffs, and the determination of the aflatoxin B1 content of these samples is progressing as planned. Preliminary results indicate that, for these commodities, there is no relationship between the size of the incremental samples and the accuracy and precision of sampling.To meet these objectives, the distribution of aflatoxin B1 in the selected feeds will be studied by the analysis of differently-sized, incremental samples, systematically collected from ten 500 tonne batches of each commodity at the port of entry. The analytical results, obtained using the official EU method for the determination of aflatoxin B1 in animal feeds, will be subjected to statistical analysis in order to establish the combinations of number and weight, of incremental samples, which afford composite samples in a practicable, precise and accurate manner. The sampling procedures developed by the project will be discussed with representatives of the animal feed trade, and a selected procedure will be subjected to a collaborative study involving a range of Member State laboratories. Fields of science medical and health scienceshealth sciencespublic healthagricultural sciencesanimal and dairy sciencedairyagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturegrains and oilseedsoilseedsagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturegrains and oilseedscerealsagricultural sciencesanimal and dairy sciencedomestic animalsanimal husbandryanimal feed Programme(s) FP3-MAT - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of measurements and testing, 1990-1994 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Natural Resources Institute Address Central avenue chatham maritime ME4 4TB Chatham United Kingdom See on map Links Website Opens in new window EU contribution € 0,00 Participants (3) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Netherlands EU contribution € 0,00 Address 1,stieltjesweg 2600 AD Delft See on map STATE INSTITUTE FOR QUALITY CONTROL OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS (RIKILT) Netherlands EU contribution € 0,00 Address Bornsesteeg 45 6708 PD Wageningen See on map UNIVERSITY OF HAMBURG Germany EU contribution € 0,00 Address Marseiller strasse 7 20355 Hamburg See on map
