Mycotoxins are naturally produced by fungi that can contaminate feed raw materials in the field and in storage and are detrimental to the health of animals. Adverse effects of mycotoxin contamination include impaired reproduction, digestive disorders, carcinogenicity, and reduced performance. 

dsm-firmenich’s World Mycotoxin Survey continues to be the longest-running and most comprehensive data set on mycotoxin occurrences and contamination. The survey accurately identifies mycotoxin risks based on time period, animal species and location. 

Each year since 2004, dsm-firmenich has analysed a large number of feed samples from all around the world to understand and monitor contamination levels of the different mycotoxins in a variety of feed ingredients. This information is shared in the annual dsm-firmenich World Mycotoxin Survey.  

Until June 2023, The World Mycotoxin Survey collected 10,199 samples from 78 countries around the world. The results concluded that the Fusarium mycotoxins fumonisins, deoxynivalenol and zearalenone are most frequently found, with the highest region of mycotoxins found in North America, South Asia and China and Taiwan. 

The survey includes further details on:  

“Mycotoxins are an ever-present threat to animal health, performance and sustainability. The latest results reveal a continuously evolving set of challenges, highlighting the importance of diligent monitoring and state-of-the art mitigation strategies to the feed and animal protein industry’s profitability,” stated Ursula Hofstetter, head of mycotoxin risk management at dsm-firmenich.