This enzyme helps producers manage mycotoxins in swine and poultry feed
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has approved the use of a novel enzyme which helps hog and poultry producers manage mycotoxins in feed.
Dsm-firmenich Animal Nutrition and Health (DSM) announced on Aug. 15 that the CFIA’s approval paves the way for it to offer a new product, Mycofix FUMzyme, which contains the enzyme fumonisin esterase.
“Fumonisin esterase is for the degradation of fumonisins present in swine and poultry feed,” Dr. Paige Gott, DSM’s strategic product manager, said in a statement. This approval expands dsm-firmenich’s commitment to innovation in mycotoxin risk management.”
More information about Mycofix FUMzyme is expected in the coming weeks.
Fumonisins are mycotoxins produced by fungi that infect corn, corn by-products and other cereals like wheat, barley and oats.
DSM surveys since 2014 in the U.S. found 80 per cent of its sampled corn contained fumonisins.
About 25 per cent of global grain production is contaminated with mycotoxins, a CFIA fact sheet says.
These mycotoxins can reduce livestock productivity and efficiency.
General effects associated with fumonisin consumption include poor feed conversion, liver damage and reduced weight gain.
And because fumonisins are heat stable, standard food-processing methods don’t destroy them. This means the toxins are transferred to products manufactured with contaminated raw grain, Penn State University says.
The fumonisin esterase enzyme helps break up mycotoxin chemical bonds with water molecules through hydrolysis, the CFIA said.
The CFIA held consultations on this topic from July to August 2023.
The Food and Drug Administration approved fumonisin esterase’s use in the U.S. in August 2022.