Mycotoxins in Southeast Asia: Risks from imported feed ingredients
MYCOTOXINS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA:
RISKS FROM IMPORTED FEED INGREDIENTS
Mycotoxin contamination in feed materials is a growing concern, exacerbated by both climate change and the increasing reliance on imported grains.
Key climatic factors such as temperature, humidity, precipitation, and elevated CO2 levels all influence the prevalence of mycotoxigenic fungi.
Additionally, extreme weather patterns like “El Niño” and “La Niña” amplify these risks.
In Southeast Asia, where feed production is rapidly rising and imports from mycotoxin-prone regions are substantial, the exposure risk is high.
Understanding the effects of climate change on mycotoxin production, along with the potential threats posed by contaminated imported ingredients, is crucial for maintaining feed safety and ensuring animal health.
As demand for feed continues to grow, producers must adopt proactive strategies to mitigate these risks and protect their supply chains.
Southeast Asia’s import outlook
Corn imports in Southeast Asia are projected to increase by 8.7 million metric tons (mmt), reaching 22.9 mmt by 2028, with Vietnam and Malaysia driving much of this growth (Figure 1).
Argentina and Brazil continue to be the region’s primary corn suppliers.
Meanwhile, soybean meal, which Southeast Asia imports primarily from Argentina, Brazil, and the U.S., accounts for a significant share of feed ingredients.
By 2028, Southeast Asia is expected to comprise almost one-third of global soybean meal imports (Lee and Hansen, 2019) (Figure 2).
22.9 mmt (2028)
1/3 global soybean meal imports
Million metric tons
After 2014/15, Indonesia gives incentives to plant corn, restricts corn imports
Vietnam’s corn imports jump in 2013/14 and continue to rise
Mycotoxin occurrence in Southeast Asia’s key exporting countries
USA
In the U.S., corn is frequently contaminated with fumonisins (FBs) and deoxynivalenol (DON), with contamination rates ranging from 30% to 70%, depending on regional and weather conditions (U.S. Grains Council, 2023)
Aflatoxins (AFs) also pose a significant risk, particularly in drought-affected regions.
Soybean meal, while generally less contaminated, is still at risk of AFs and FBs, especially when storage or transport conditions are suboptimal.
Wheat grown in the U.S. is often contaminated with DON, particularly in regions experiencing cooler, wetter growing seasons.
Surveys have found DON in 20-60% of wheat samples, while zearalenone (ZEN) and FBs are less common but still present (U.S. Wheat Associates, 2023)
The U.S. also exports DDGS, which often carries mycotoxin contamination similar to corn.
FBs, DON, and ZEN are the most prevalent contaminants, with contamination levels fluctuating depending on the quality of the original corn and the processing methods (U.S. Grains Council, 2023)
These contaminants pose a serious threat to livestock health, especially in large-scale feed production operations.
Argentina
Argentina’s corn exports pose a significant mycotoxin risk, particularly with DON and FBs.
A study by Castañares et al. (2019) found that DON was present in 90% of corn samples, while FBs were detected in over 40% of the samples.
This widespread contamination highlights the risks posed by Argentine corn, especially concerning DON’s negative impacts on animal health.
Although soybean meal from Argentina is less frequently contaminated, AFs can still be an issue, particularly under poor storage conditions.
Argentine wheat is also susceptible to contamination by Alternaria toxins, such as alternariol (AOH) and alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), found in up to 62% of samples (Romero Bernal et al., 2019)
Additionally, Fusarium toxins, including FBs, were detected in 50-100% of wheat flour samples (Cendoya et al., 2019)
Given Argentina’s high corn production and FBs prevalence, DDGS derived from corn likely carries similar contamination risks.
Brazil
Brazil’s corn exports frequently suffer from FBs contamination, with studies indicating average contamination rates of up to 27% (Mallmann et al., 2020)
AFs and DON are also present, particularly during specific seasons and in regions with fluctuating weather conditions.
Soybean meal from Brazil, though less frequently contaminated than corn, still shows occasional occurrences of AFs and FBs, particularly when storage is inadequate.
Brazilian wheat often carries mycotoxins, particularly DON and ZEN.
Studies suggest that up to 70% of wheat samples show contamination with DON, and over half the samples contain ZEN (Dos Santos et al., 2021)
In wheat flour, DON contamination was found in all samples tested.
Brazilian DDGS, primarily derived from corn, frequently contains high levels of FBs and AFs.
These contamination levels pose significant risks to livestock health if not properly addressed.
“El
Niño” and “La Niña”: amplifiers of mycotoxin contamination
Extreme weather patterns like “El Niño” and “La Niña” significantly influence mycotoxin contamination in feed crops.
“El Niño”, characterized by hot, dry conditions, favors the growth of aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus species, particularly in corn across regions like Brazil, Argentina, and even parts of Europe (Battilani et al., 2016)
These conditions also exacerbate AFs and FBs outbreaks in Southern Africa, where drought stresses corn crops.
Conversely, “La Niña”, with its increased rainfall and cooler conditions, elevates the risk of DON and FBs contamination, particularly in corn and wheat.
These fungi thrive in wetter environments, making Southeast Asia, Latin America, and parts of North America particularly vulnerable during “La Niña” events.
Most corn in Southeast Asia is contaminated with mycotoxins: a critical relationship
A recent study by PATENT CO. revealed that 93% of tested corn samples from Southeast Asia were contaminated with one or more mycotoxins.
Conducted between September 2021 and May 2022, the research utilized advanced LC-MS/MS techniques to analyze corn samples collected from the region.
The findings highlighted the widespread contamination of corn used in animal feed, with severe implications for livestock health and production.
Of the tested samples, 86.5% were contaminated by at least one mycotoxin, with DON found in 73.6%, FBs in 49.2%, and ZEN in 41.1%.
Other toxins, such as T-2 (9.5%), AFs (4.0%), and ochratoxin A (3.7%), were also detected.
A key concern was the prevalence of multi-mycotoxin contamination, with 63.4% of samples showing cocontamination by two or more mycotoxins.
Combinations of DON, FBs, and ZEN were the most common, posing synergistic or additive effects that could significantly worsen livestock health outcomes.
CONCLUSION
Mycotoxins are a persistent threat to Southeast Asia’s feed supply, with frequent contamination of imported grains like corn, soybean meal, wheat, and DDGS.
Climate change and extreme weather patterns like “El Niño” and “La Niña” further exacerbate the situation, increasing the prevalence of mycotoxins in key feed ingredients.
Continuous monitoring, proactive mitigation strategies, and a robust understanding of mycotoxin risks are essential to maintaining feed safety and protecting livestock health in the region.
References
Battilani, P., Toscano, P., Van der Fels-Klerx, H. J., Moretti, A., Camardo Leggieri, M., Brera, C., Rortais, A., Goumperis, T. and Robinson T. (2016). Aflatoxin B1 contamination in maize in Europe increases due to climate change. Scientific Reports, 6, 24328.
Castañares, E., Martínez, M., Cristos, D., Rojas, D., Lara, B., Stenglein, S., Dinolfo, M. L. (2019). Fusarium species and mycotoxin contamination in maize in Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 155, 1265–1275. doi:10.1007/s10658-019-01853-5
De Matos, C. J., Schabo, D. C., Do Nascimento, Y. M., Tavares, J. F., Lima, E. D. O., Da Cruz, P. O., De Souza, E. L., Magnani, M., Magalhães, H. F. I. (2021). Aflatoxin M1 in Brazilian goat milk and health risk assessment. J. Environ. Sci. Health, Part B 56 (4), 415–422. doi:10.1080/03601234.2021.1892434
Lee, T., and Hansen, J. (2019). Southeast Asia’s Growing Meat Demand and Its Implications for Feedstuffs Imports. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Mallmann, C. A., Tyska, D., Almeida, C. A. A., Oliveira, M. S., and Gressler, L. T. (2020). Mycotoxicological monitoring of breakfast and infant cereals marketed in Brazil. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 331, 108628. doi:10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2020.108628
Romero Bernal, Á. R., Reynoso, C. M., García Londoño, V. A., Broggi, L. E., and Resnik, S. L. (2019). Alternaria toxins in Argentinean wheat, bran, and flour. Food Addit. Contam. Part B 12 (1), 24–30. doi:10.1080/19393210.2018.1509900
U.S. Grains Council. (2023). Corn Harvest Quality Report. U.S. Grains Council
U.S. Wheat Associates. (2023). Crop Quality Report. U.S. Wheat Associates
