Assessment of multi-mycotoxins in milk and in the diet of dairy cows in Southeastern Brazil

Abstract

Contamination by multi-mycotoxins in animal feed is a problem that affects several sectors, from animal production to the food industry. The objective of the present study is to investigate the levels of muti-mycotoxins present in the diet of dairy cows and the milk produced by them, thus evaluating the occurrence of these mycotoxins and the risk of transfer to the milk produced. It will be selected 50 dairy farms locateds in the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo, thus covering all states in the southeastern region of Brazil. Samples of the total diet for feeding lactating animals and samples of raw milk present in the refrigeration tanks of the dairy farms will be collected. Chromatographic analyzes of milk and feed will be carried out at the Laboratory for Control and Decontamination of Mycotoxin of the Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering of the University of São Paulo (LCDM/ZEA/FZEA-USP) to determine the occurrence, identification and determination of mycotoxin levels in the diet of dairy cows and the milk produced by them. Feeding the animals on the farms will be conducted under normal, routine conditions of the dairy farms chosen. Food contamination will not be intentional or controlled, so the initial concentration or even the presence of mycotoxins in the samples will not be known until the results of the analyzes. The results of the experiment will be submitted to analysis of variance, using Fisher's Least Significant Difference (LSD) test, where applicable, for the comparison between the averages, where applicable. (AU)