Mycotoxins are prevalent around the world, and to learn more about mycotoxins Alltech conducts an annual Harvest Analysis Alltech has been doing their Harvest Analysis program since 2013. With samples from Europe, from the United States and from Canada Alltech conducts a global harvest analysis. With this they get a good picture of what the mycotoxin risk is to provide better management solutions. In this video Dr. Alexandra Weaver gives an overview of what the results show this year and focusses on the trends in Europe.

KEENAN and Francis Bugler Ltd have announced a new and exclusive distributor partnership in the UK.

Founded in 1851, Francis Bugler Ltd (commonly known as Buglers) has built a strong reputation for supporting the agricultural community, backed by a team of over 50 dedicated farming professionals.

KEENAN and Francis Bugler Ltd have announced a new and exclusive distributor partnership in the UK.

Founded in 1851, Francis Bugler Ltd (commonly known as Buglers) has built a strong reputation for supporting the agricultural community, backed by a team of over 50 dedicated farming professionals.

KEENAN and Francis Bugler Ltd have announced a new and exclusive distributor partnership in the UK.

Sustainability seems to be the buzzword, especially in the agricultural industry. You may have heard this word from your employer, your supervisor, a colleague, or you have seen it in an advertisement on the wall. Everywhere we look, there is some activity, product, project, etc., attached to the word "sustainability." While some would think it's the overuse of a catchy word, it really makes you wonder if it's a marketing tool or if we're really contributing to sustainable agriculture. A fair question, to be honest. But the most important question is: What does sustainability mean?

[STAMFORD, UK] – Alltech, a global leader in biotechnology, has released the complete Alltech 2024 European Harvest Analysis report. The comprehensive final report shows that a combination of heavy early-season rains and late-season droughts has created distinct challenges for crop producers in Central and Southeastern Europe and indicates that overall risk is moderate to high.

“Overall, European grains may have similar or higher risk this year compared to last year. Type B trichothecenes are predominant mycotoxins in corn silage and straw, while the other Penicillium mycotoxins dominate grass silages,” said Dr. Radka Borutova, global technical support for the Technology Group at Alltech. “Together, these mycotoxins could impact animal performance and health, so producers should be aware of these challenges in order to be proactive in their mycotoxin management strategies.”

The final mycotoxin risk will ultimately depend on the animal species and groups being fed and the mycotoxin concentrations and combinations in the finished diet.

Mycotoxins, which are natural substances produced by moulds and fungi, are more prevalent — and more of a problem in agriculture — than ever before. More than 95% of crops today are contaminated with at least one mycotoxin, and usually with two or more. Because these toxins are difficult to detect, they can cause significant damage to animal health before producers even realize they are present. A proactive mycotoxin management programme is essential, and the first step is learning which mycotoxins pose the highest risk in specific regions, crops and species.

The Alltech 2024 European Harvest Analysis programme tests samples of new-crop grains and forages collected from farms or animal feed production sites in 20 countries, ensuring an accurate picture of mycotoxin contamination across the continent. All samples are tested at the leading-edge Alltech 37+^® lab, which can detect the presence of 54 mycotoxins. Corn samples from central and southern Europe are also tested in collaboration with SGS, a global leader in mycotoxin testing and certification.

Other key results from the Alltech 2024 European Harvest Analysis include:

Barley

Samples tested show an average of 6.8 mycotoxins per sample, with 98% containing multiple mycotoxins. The highest-risk mycotoxins are type B trichothecenes, type A trichothecenes and ergot alkaloids.

Wheat

Samples show an average of 7.6 mycotoxins per sample, with 99% containing multiple mycotoxins. The most prevalent mycotoxins are type B and type A trichothecenes.

Forages

Forage samples (grass silage, corn silage and straw) show 3.7 mycotoxins per sample on average, with 78% of samples containing multiple mycotoxins. The most prevalent are type B trichothecenes and Penicillium mycotoxins such as penicillic acid, mycophenolic acid and patulin.

On Nov. 21, Alltech hosted “From Field to Feed: 2024 Crop and Mycotoxin Analysis”, a broadcast streamed live from Alltech’s headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. During the broadcast, panellists shared valuable insights for managing risks across the supply chain. Here are the key takeaways:

• Test and monitor: Regularly test crops and feed to understand what’s present and to ensure high quality.

• Leverage weather data: Pay attention to weather patterns and farm-specific conditions to assess potential risks early.

• Use comprehensive information: Gather unbiased data from all aspects of your operation and tailor it to fit your specific needs.

• Combine methods: Utilise both traditional techniques and new technologies to refine processes and ensure feed quality.

• Act proactively: If mycotoxins are present, be proactive with management to ensure high-quality feed production, thus protecting animals and safeguarding your operation’s resilience and success.

Register online at alltech.com/harvest-analysis to gain access to the recording of the broadcast as well as the full 2024 Alltech Harvest Analysis programme, including the complete European report, which is available now.

For more information about Alltech mycotoxin management solutions, visit knowmycotoxins.com.

Alltech, a global leader in animal nutrition and crop science, has launched Planet of Plenty LLC, a new business entity dedicated to science-led storytelling, advocacy and educational initiatives that amplify agriculture’s vital role in creating a sustainable future.

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[DUNBOYNE, Ireland] – Alltech is a global leader in animal nutrition, backed by 45 years of scientific research. The company produces premium feed additive products and works with global regulatory agencies to meet their requirements. For more than a decade, the company’s attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR–FTIR) chelation assay has been relied upon by the industry to ensure that only the highest-quality products enter the market, to ensure fair market competition, and to prevent feed additive fraud.

“With new trace mineral chelate products continuously being developed, in addition to products with increased mineral concentration, the use of validated assays such as that developed by Alltech will ensure that such chelates meet EU regulatory requirements,” said Dr. Colm Moran, chief regulatory officer at Alltech. “This further adds to their safety and efficacy characteristics. Apart from enabling producers to meet regulatory requirements, assessment of such chelates via this assay will enable the EU to combat feed additive fraud. In doing so, the EU can further protect its agricultural sector by upholding standards through robust monitoring and rigorous enforcement of regulations.”

The process of complexing or chelating elements such as zinc or manganese to generate a trace mineral chelate typically involves reacting inorganic mineral salts with a suitable bonding group such as a peptide or amino acid, after which the mineral becomes part of a biologically stable structure. The chemistry behind chelation has created a great deal of confusion in the animal feed industry.

“Establishing the degree of complexation is important for both regulatory and practical purposes. Just as regulatory agencies require complete characterisation of medicinal products, similar data is necessary for trace mineral chelates to ensure their safety and efficacy,” said Dr. Richard Murphy, research director at Alltech. “If the metal ion is not complexed, its use will confer no additional benefit over that of a metal salt. Additionally, control methods allowing for the detection of products which are merely blends of carrier and inorganic salts are important to prevent the sale of fraudulent materials.”

In 2017, researchers at the Alltech European Bioscience Centre in Dunboyne, Ireland, assessed several different methodologies to determine the degree of metal complexation in commercially available chelates of protein hydrolysate (proteinates), thereby enabling more complete characterisation and control of these products. Potential methodologies which were identified included both the ATR–FTIR and powder X–Ray diffraction (PXRD). Both techniques are well established and widely available, and data can be acquired rapidly. They are also non-destructive, so that the same sample can be analysed by both methods in different laboratories.

Subsequent to this, the method was published under peer review (Cantwell et al., 2017) and made available to the industry as a whole, enabling other manufacturers to independently assess their own products. Additional work by Byrne et al., (2023) extended on the earlier work and validated the assay for use with higher concentration trace mineral chelates of protein hydrolysate.

The validated ATR-FTIR spectroscopy method is product specific, and while its use is applicable to the general class of chelates referred to by EFSA as “chelates of protein hydrolysate” (proteinates), the published assay has only been verified for the proteinate Bioplex®, produced by Alltech. As the characteristics of any proteinate will depend on the protein source used to produce the hydrolysate, the hydrolysis process, and the percentage of metal present, the assay will need to be validated and verified in a product-specific fashion.

“Product-specific assay validation is critical in this instance as the hydrolysis procedure plays a critical role in the production of proteinate products and varies greatly between manufacturers,” said Murphy. “As such, to obtain accurate data on the extent of chelation for specific chelate products, generation of appropriate standards and calibration curves, along with method verification and validation procedures, must be done for each specific product type.”

For more information about Alltech’s mineral management solutions, visit alltech.com/en-ie/mineral-management.