Aflatoxins Detected in Groundnuts at Polish Border
This week Polish border checks found a ‘serious’ level of aflatoxins in groundnuts from the US, resulting in a border rejection and notification on the RASFF EU Portal.
The finding reported ‘serious’ levels of aflatoxins in the shipment, indicating the nuts would pose a high risk to the public if consumed. Aflatoxins are a type of mycotoxin that are naturally produced by fungi and mould from the Aspergillus Flavus species. Regular testing is carried out for aflatoxins on a wide range of feed and cereal based products due to the side effects in humans and animals if consumed, these include;
- Vomiting
- Jaundice
- Lack of appetite
- Increased thirst
- Unexplained bleeding
Aflatoxins have also been found to be carcinogenic in cases of extreme poisoning.
The fungi tends to flourish in warm, humid environments and often develops on corn, peanuts wheat, and other grains. These crops are commonly used as ingredients in pet food which has led to a number of product recalls on pet food products in the U.S, particularly within the last year (click here to learn more about pet food contamination).
Due to the high risk that aflatoxin contamination poses, it’s important to test feed and cereal based samples for aflatoxins at various stages of the production process to ensure the safe supply of products to humans and animals. Biorex Food Diagnostics are a leading manufacturer of feed and food testing kits, detecting a range of contaminants including mycotoxins, antibiotics, growth promoters and pesticides.
Biorex Food Diagnostics have recently released a new, Total Aflatoxins kit that detects the four main types of aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) in peanuts and animal feed at low levels of detection that meet global regulatory standards. With an assay time of 35 minutes and an easy to follow ELISA methodology, the kit enables users to get fast results using a proven cost effective method.
For more information on the new Total Aflatoxins kit contact, pr@biorexfooddiagnostics.com
