ANALYSIS OF AFLATOXINS IN POULTRY AND PIG FEEDS AND FEEDSTUFFS USED IN COLOMBIA

Feedstuffs and mixed feeds used for poultry and pig nutrition in Colom bia were analyzed for aflatoxins by using a liquid chromatographic tec hnique with a limit of detection of 1 mu g/kg for each aflatoxin (B-1, B-2, G(1), and G(2)). Samples of grain sorghum, maize, processed soyb ean, rice meal, cottonseed meal, and poultry and pig feeds, representa tive of Colombian production for the 1995-1996 harvest, were taken fro m feed-manufacturing plants in various cities. Aflatoxins were detecte d in 11 of 45 samples of sorghum, 4 of 33 samples of maize, 8 of 22 sa mples of rice meal, 15 of 17 samples of cottonseed meal, 1 of 12 sampl es of other feedstuffs, 12 of 30 samples of poultry feed, and 7 of 16 samples of pig feed. Aflatoxins were not detected in soybean. Only 9 o f 58 positive samples contained total aflatoxin levels exceeding maxim um tolerable limits in Colombia.