The grain industry continues to encounter mycotoxins in Texas feed-grade corn, making grain elevators among the first line of defense, said Dr. Tim Herrman, director of the Office of the State Chemist at Texas A&M University.

Herrman, speaking at the Texas High Plains Grain Elevator Workshop in Amarillo, said the Office of the Texas State Chemist recently completed its census of the commercial grain handling facilities. Of the 543 grain elevators in the state, 247 handle corn.

Corn exceeding the 20 parts per billion aflatoxin and 5 parts per million fumonisin action levels are legally categorized as a livestock feed ingredient, which is regulated by the Texas Commercial Feed Control Act, he said. As such, the corn must be labeled and channeled to the appropriate market.

Aflatoxin and fumonisin are mycotoxins – toxins produced by molds in grain during production – and they can negatively impact animals if not managed properly, he said. The corn can be blended with mycotoxin-free corn to bring the level to a tolerable level.

The census found that 92 percent of the grain elevators holding a commercial feed license were testing for aflatoxin or fumonisin, Herrman said, showing good initial compliance with the rules and regulations.

But the census found a need exists, even among those elevators doing the testing, to improve labeling of grain containing mycotoxins and to document that the grain is channeled to the appropriate markets.

As long as the industry follows the laws, rules and policies pertaining to these toxins, they will not pose a health hazard to animals and animal protein products that enter the food supply, Herrman said.

During his presentation, he outlined best management practices for the grain industry. Among these practices are using good sampling techniques, sample preparation and testing.

While these practices may require extra time and expense, they were designed to balance the cost of managing the toxins and the health hazards they pose, Herrman said.

He said the grain industry was a participant in the state-level discussions surrounding the development of the management practices by the State Chemist office to ensure the rules were practical and could be adopted by the industry.

A complete list of best management practices recommended to prevent or reduce mycotoxin contamination throughout the corn growing and handling process have been posted on the State Chemist Web site at http://mycotoxinbmps.tamu.edu for use by producers, handlers and shippers of feed corn.

Writer: Kay Ledbetter