During a routine check at the beginning of this week, Agrifirm found an increased level of Aflatoxin B1 in the feed for dairy cattle. According to Agrifirm, of the 497 farms, a number of Drenthe farmers have also been affected.
It is mainly dairy farmers who are affected. The farmers have been informed and the rejected feed is being removed.
“It is a vegetable substance, a fungus,” explains Arend Steenbergen, provincial chairman of LTO North. “This is always strictly monitored.” He calls the fact that an excess of the substance has now been found exceptional: “I have never experienced this before.”
Yet, according to Steenbergen, there is no reason to panic. “You can see that the control system is working well. That gives you a good feeling.” He explains that food safety is very important in the Netherlands and is therefore carefully monitored.
“During the second measurement in the chunk, the substance content was too high,” says Steenbergen. “The milk was also examined and in a number of cases it was decided to discharge the milk.” According to him, the latter does involve costs for the farmer, also because the barrels in which the milk is stored must be properly cleaned.
The feed in which an excess of the harmful mold poison was found was produced in a factory in Drachten. The wrong corn from France was processed into the pellets for livestock.
The animal feed company has started a recall campaign for the rejected feed that will be fermented. New feed is also supplied to the companies that does meet the quality requirements.
Ingestion of too large an amount can cause damage to the liver. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the substance may also be potentially carcinogenic to humans.
The maximum amount of aflatoxin that may be present in food has been determined in a European regulation and in the Commodities Act Decree Contamination of foodstuffs. The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) monitors compliance with the standards.
Bjorn Elsebrock, spokesperson for the NVWA, says that he will not take any measures in this situation, but will keep a close eye on it. Elsebrock: “The company acted immediately and is doing what it should do.”