Aflatoxins in swine tissues during drought conditions : an epidemiologic study

The purpose of this joint Agricultural Research Service/Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) project was to determine the presence of aflatoxins in swine tissues in the United States during a drought year (1988). A worst-case sampling plan for aflatoxin from swine slaughtered in FSIS inspected plants was conducted during the drought. Swine tissues were screened for aflatoxins by high pressure liquid chromatography and confirmed by two-dimensional thin layer chromatography. Results indicate that swine effectively metabolize aflatoxins present in feed. Eight of 160 (5%) liver samples had confirmed aflatoxin, with only 4 of these 8 exceeding 0.1 ppb. Only 1 of 160 liver samples had total aflatoxin B1 and M1 in excess of the milk enforcement level of 0.5 ppb for M1 alone. In severe drought conditions, the presence of aflatoxins in animal feed does not result in a significant frequency or magnitude of tissue residues in swine even in worst-case type biased sampling. Since swine appear to be the most sensi...