Rapid quality assurance tests for persistent chemical contaminants in animal feeds

Summary

Currently there is no systematic lot-by-lot testing of feed grains or of feeds by the Australian industry. Some feed industry companies test occasional lots of raw materials but this is done on a sporadic basis. Market basket type surveys provide some statistical data by analysing a few samples of each of a range of commodities, but they do not have a trace-back element. The lack of systematic testing for persistent chemicals was a factor in both of the contaminated-meat crises in recent Australian history - the organochlorine crisis in the mid-1980's and the more recent chlorfluazuron (Helix) crisis. With an increase in feedlotting in the Australian beef industry, the relevance of testing of feeds / feed grains has increased. Indeed, the last major contamination problem arose from contamination of feed (Helix-contaminated cotton trash) rather than contaminated grazing land. Without a more formal and systematic testing regiment, the risk of further residue crises from time-to-time is high.

The research aimed to provide a test method for screening for each of the persistent insecticides that may potentially contaminate Australian feed grains. A single test (or at most, two tests performed with the single feed / grain extract) will also indicate the potential source of contamination by identifying the chemical group to which the contaminant belongs. By directly involving the U.S. company EnviroLogix, the tests were projected to be commercially available immediately after the conclusion of this project, and during the latter half of the project, industry trials of the test/s were to be carried out with key feed industry users. The Australian feed grains industry (and meat industries) will benefit from having a unique quality assurance tool, which can also be used to assist in the promotion of Australian feed grains and Australian beef and other livestock products as clean.