Aflatoxins in domestic and imported foods and feeds

Aflatoxins, metabolic products of the molds Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, may occur in foods and feeds. These toxins cannot be entirely avoided or eliminated from foods or feeds by current agronomic and manufacturing processes and are considered unavoidable contaminants. To limit aflatoxin exposure, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set action levels for these toxins in foods and feeds involved in interstate commerce. FDA continually monitors food and feed industries through compliance programs. This report summarizes data generated from compliance programs on aflatoxins for the fiscal year 1986. Commodities sampled included peanuts and peanut products, corn and corn products, tree nuts, cottonseed, milk, spices, manufactured products, and miscellaneous foods and feeds. Correlations were highest between aflatoxin contamination and geographical areas for corn/corn products and cottonseed/cottonseed meal. Higher incidences of aflatoxin contamination in corn and corn products designated for human consumption were observed in samples collected in the southeastern states (32 and 28%, respectively). A higher incidence of contamination was observed in corn designated for animal feed from Arkansas-Texas (74%) than from the southeastern states (47%). Only 3% of feed corn from corn belt states contained detectable aflatoxins. All aflatoxin-contaminated cottonseed was collected in the Arizona-California area; 80% of cottonseed meal analyzed from this area also contained detectable levels of aflatoxins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)