Mycotoxins in Brazilian corn for animal feed: occurrence and incentives for the private sector to control the level of contamination

Regional differences in the average level of mycotoxins of Brazilian corn can be quite marked and vary by the mycotoxin sampled. Our survey found that Brazilian feed companies controlled the level for aflatoxin and other mycotoxins. The Ministry of Agriculture and Supply sets a standard only for aflatoxin and it has initiated a national program for monitoring the mycotoxin levels in the production chain. Feed companies reported an average capital cost of $55,900 to purchase the machine to analyze corn samples for mycotoxins. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.132879