USAHA News
United States Animal Health Association
Contact:  Larry Mark - (703) 451-3954 - ldmark@erols.com


For immediate release:

COMMITTEES TO LOOK AT MYCOTOXIN CONCENTRATION IN CATTLE FEEDS

	HERSHEY, Pa., Nov. 7, 2005 - Two committees -- the U.S. Animal Health Association 
(USAHA) Committee on the Environment and the Analytical Toxicology and Mycotoxins 
Committee of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) -- 
were asked at their meeting here this week to review and ratify formerly adopted guidelines 
regarding mycotoxins in animal feedstuffs.  These guidelines were approved by the Food and Drug 
Administration?s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). 

      It was pointed out that although guidelines or recommendations for mycotoxin in animal 
feedstuffs are published from various sources, different values are quoted.  This contributes to 
confusion in the animal industry.

      The two committees were specifically asked to look at the fumonisins concentration in 
cattle feeds to determine if this is still applicable.
      
      Mycotoxin issues are discussed annually at the meeting of the USAHA Committee on the 
Environment.  Although test surveys were not done for verification, this year's report indicated that 
aflotoxin was believed to be more common in drought areas of the corn belt in the 2005 growing 
season.  
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