Maize (Zea mays L.) belongs to the grass family (Poaceae) and is a staple food for human and animal nutrition. It is rich in carbohydrates, containing over 70% starch, as well as proteins, fibres, minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. Under favorable conditions, high relative humidity and temperature, maize grains are often infected with various fungal species of the Aspergillus genus. Infected grains may be symptomless or covered with fungal mycelium, which can cause symptoms of grain rot. Aspergillus species synthesize various toxic secondary metabolites – aflatoxins, of which aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is highly toxic and carcinogenic, posing a risk to human and animal health. In addition, aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a metabolite of AFB1 and can be detected in the milk of ruminants. AFM1 content increases with increasing AFB1 intake. This research aimed to evaluate the level of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in 54 maize grain samples intended for animal feeding (32 samples) taken from the warehouse of the Institute for Animal Husbandry in the period 2015-2018, and in 22 maize silage samples from silo trenches of the Institute for Animal Husbandry, Belgrade-Zemun (Serbia) in 2015. The occurrence of AFB1 was detected in 95.45% of the maize grain samples and 75% of the maize silage samples. The average AFB1 level in maize grain samples was 2.68 μg kg–1 (ranging from 1.13 to 4.42 μg kg–1), while in maize silage samples, it was 2.07 μg kg–1 (ranging from 1.10 to 3.36 μg kg–1). According to the European Commission Directive (2003/100/EC), the maximum limit for AFB1 is 20 μg kg–1 for all feed materials, except for complete feedingstuffs for dairy animals (5 μg kg–1) and young animals (10 μg kg–1). None of the tested maize samples for animal feed exceeded the maximum AFB1 level. Based on the results obtained, the maize samples tested were safe for feeding the farm animals of all categories. However, regular monitoring of aflatoxin contamination in maize grain samples is a prerequisite to ensuring feed safety and sustainable livestock production.
Krnjaja et al. (2025) studied this question.