Determination of Aflatoxin Content in Compound Feed and Feed Ingredients by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
Authors: J. Smith, A. Johnson, R. Brown
Aflatoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus species, commonly found in feed and feed ingredients, posing significant risks to animal health and food safety. This study developed and validated a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the simultaneous determination of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 in compound feed and feed ingredients. The method involved immunoaffinity column cleanup and post-column derivatization, achieving excellent linearity (R² > 0.999), low limits of detection (0.1-0.5 µg/kg), and good recoveries (85-110%). The validated method was applied to 120 commercial feed samples, revealing that 15% of samples exceeded the EU regulatory limits for total aflatoxins. The results highlight the need for routine monitoring and the effectiveness of the HPLC method for accurate aflatoxin quantification in feed quality control.
