Mycotoxin contamination is one of the key food safety concerns covered by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). In food for human consumption, the presence of mycotoxins has been associated with cancer and developmental defects. In animal feed, elevated mycotoxins can have a negative impact milk production, weight gain, fertility and general health. The FDA has set aflatoxin, fumonisin, and DON recommended limits for human food at 0.5 ppb – 4 ppm. In animal feed, the recommended limits cover a wide range, depending on the animal and feed type; for more details you can consult this guide from the USDA.
Whether your facility is directly regulated by FSMA, or you’re a supplier to a FSMA-regulated facility, a robust quality system will help you meet the stringent requirements. The FDA has provided the Food Safety Plan Builder, a complex desktop application to help such facilities create a clear, thorough FSMA-compliance plan for delivering a “say what you do, and do what you say” food safety system.
Quantitative test kits for mycotoxins from EnviroLogix will guide you in making critical decisions about incoming commodities as well as those in storage. QuickScan software can help you see trends in your data and help you meet FSMA documentation requirements at the same time. QuickScan II can store up to 100,000 full-page reports, and results data can be exported to a spreadsheet to simplify record-keeping and allow additional analysis as needed.
If you are unsure how to save QuickScan data, you can follow the instructions in this guide or contact our Technical Support experts toll-free at (866) 408-4597 x2 or via the contact page on the EnviroLogix website.
Sources:
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- World Health Organization: Mycotoxins and Health Risks (WHO)
