Assessment of aflatoxin in beef cattle feed and feed ingredients in Bangladesh: A safety issue

The present study was conducted to find out the aflatoxin concentration present in commercial beef cattle feed and feed ingredients in Bangladesh. Commercial beef cattle feed and feed ingredients samples collected from four district of Bangladesh were analyzed by ELISA test kit for aflatoxin. The levels of aflatoxin varied widely in all types of feed ingredients from 6.36 to 59.18 ppb. The mean concentration of aflatoxin in feed ingredients was found to be significantly higher (p<0.05) in maize (32.34 ± 24.81 ppb) and rice polish (20.33 ± 9.55 ppb) which were higher than the maximum permitted levels (MPLs) set by Food Standards Agency. The mean concentration of aflatoxin in feed ingredients was lower in de-oiled rice bran (7.97 ± 1.73 ppb). Level of mean concentration of aflatoxin in other feed ingredients such as sesame oil cake (10.28 ± 3.50 ppb), wheat bran (10.36 ± 1.82 ppb), gram bran (10.97 ± 2.54 ppb), mustard oil cake (12.74 ± 3.15 ppb), matikalai hull (9.96 ± 2.58 ppb), rapeseed meal (13.29 ± 2.87 ppb), soybean meal (9.76 ± 3.46 ppb), lentil hull (11.95 ± 3.46 ppb), cotton by-products (9.86 ± 1.95 ppb) and straw (12.05 ± 3.90 ppb) were almost similar and within the range of 9.76 ± 3.46 ppb to 13.29 ± 2.87 ppb. The levels of aflatoxin ranged in all types of commercial compound beef cattle feeds varied from 7.78 to 14.66 ppb. These levels are lower than the levels of maximum acceptable limit of aflatoxin (20 ppb) content in complete cattle feed set by Food Standards Agency.