90 



Af latoxin 



I would like to now turn to the advice the agency provided to the 

 Missouri Department of Agriculture concerning aflatoxin 

 contaminated corn. 



Aflatoxin is also a mold-produced toxin that can occur when a 

 food crop is under stress, such as drought followed by extremely 

 wet conditions. It has been found in various kinds of foods, 

 most notably oilseeds. Corn is especially susceptible to 

 aflatoxin contamination. Aflatoxin is a known carcinogen in 

 laboratory animals, possibly a carcinogen in humans, and may also 

 cause liver damage when ingested at high doses. 



FDA began regulating aflatoxin in food and feed when it was first 

 discovered in the 1960s. In the intervening years, many 

 toxicological studies on the health effects of aflatoxin have 

 been conducted, including epidemiological studies involving 

 humans exposed to high levels of aflatoxin. Based on our current 

 understanding of aflatoxin toxicity, we continue to believe that 

 our longstanding action level of 20 parts per billion (ppb) for 

 human food does not pose a threat to consumers. Identical 

 guidance also exists for af latoxin-contaminated feed intended for 

 dairy cattle and immature animals. With dairy cattle, the 

 concern is the possible transfer of potentially unsafe levels of 

 aflatoxin to the milk of these animals. The available data show. 



