Estudo da concentração de aflatoxina pós processo de extrusão em rações animais

Abstract

With the increase of pets, the consumption of dry feed has intensified. For the industry, this marketing advance brings a concern in the production sector in relation to food quality and safety. One of the most common contamination problems in this sector is the presence of mycotoxins in the raw material and final product. Among the 500 best known mycotoxins, the aflatoxin produced by the Aspergillus species predominates, this species develops at higher humidity and temperature levels. Therefore, the objective of this project was to determine the amount of aflatoxin in the raw material of dog food and to quantify this mycotoxin in the final product, after processing. The raw material consisted of corn germ, wheat bran, corn in grain, corn gluten and corn bran. The final post-processing product was also evaluated. Aflatoxin quantification was performed by the AgraStrip Watex kit, being analyzed 9 batches of raw material. As a result, we found that the ingredients of 1 batch of corn germ, wheat bran and corn bran had aflatoxin values above the legal limit (20 μg/kg ppb). In the sum of the aflatoxin values of all ingredients used in the preparation of the feed, only one batch (number 1) presented values below the permitted (16.80 μg/kg ppb). After the extrusion process, the final product presented values below 10 μg/kg ppb, with the exception of the product from batch 8, which presented values of 12 μg/kg ppb, still within the limit allowed by legislation. We conclude that the processing of raw material for the production of feed considerably eliminates the presence of aflatoxin in the final product, making it suitable for consumption.