Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi, primarily Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium. They pose significant health problems to both humans and animals, leading to substantial economic losses. This review analyzed 15 studies on mycotoxin contamination in staple feed crops, compound feeds, and animal-derived matrices in Southern Africa. Aflatoxins, fumonisins, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, and ochratoxin A were commonly detected in maize, sorghum, millet, cassava, and groundnuts, with contamination levels often exceeding regulatory limits. Maize-based feeds in intensive swine production showed high aflatoxin and fumonisin concentrations, while extensive systems relying on kitchen leftovers and brewing by-products exhibited variable contamination. Penicillin-producing fungi were detected in 47.9% of swine feed samples, and penicillin acid was suggested to contribute to the diagnosis of swine nephropathy diagnosed. Mycotoxin contamination reduces feed intake and swine productivity. Reduction to 11.3% of fumonisin contamination through traditional cooking methods was deemed insufficient to minimize risks of maize porridge leftovers, specifically in extensive production. Traditional maize processing reduced aflatoxins by up to 88%. Fumonisins were highly recorded, particularly in maize and compound feed. A mid-range estimated mycotoxin contamination revealed high levels in both maize (12,245 ppb) and compound feed (14,245 ppb), with noncompliance rates of 20,308.3% and 184.9% in Mozambique, respectively. Suggesting high reinforcement in mycotoxin monitoring. LC-MS/MS has been proven to be the most effective method for multi-mycotoxin detection, which implies that it should be implemented for routine monitoring. This review emphasizes that mitigation strategies must be tailored to production systems and regional environmental conditions to safeguard animal productivity and public health.
Mfashwanayo et al. (Sun,) studied this question.