Fisheries & Aquaculture

Mycotoxins in Aquaculture

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Aquaculture is the fastest growing animal food producing sector. With growing demand for aquatic products (fish and shrimp) comes increasing concern about the reliable supply of raw materials needed to support this growth. Aqua feeds traditionally depend on fishmeal as a protein source, but the trend in recent years has moved towards replacing fish meal with less expensive sources of protein of plant origin. As a result of this trend, aquaculture feeds have a higher risk of contamination by one or more types of mycotoxins. Aqua feeds contaminated by mycotoxins occur particularly in countries with humid tropical climates owing to many factors, among which are climatic conditions conducive to mold growth and inappropriate methods of feed processing and storage. However, increasing trade globalization and the incorporation of imported raw materials in aqua feeds expose feed manufacturers and their clients to the risk of combinations of mycotoxins either from multiple mycotoxins in the same raw material or from different mycotoxins in different ingredients in the same formulation. In addition, rising feedstuff prices have led feed manufacturers to look for more economical raw materials to avoid increasing feed prices. The use of more affordable raw materials of lower quality, such as DDGS, might increase the risk of mycotoxin contamination in feeds.