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4 

 however, that other food-producing animals, if mature, can be 

 exposed to higher levels of aflatoxin without adverse effects on 

 the health of the animals and without the occurrence of unsafe 

 aflatoxin residues in the animals' edible food products, such as 

 meat or eggs. The action levels for these animals range from 100 

 to 300 ppb. The details on the action levels for aflatoxin in 

 corn are also appended to my statement. 



On September 10, 1993, the Missouri Department of Agriculture 

 wrote FDA requesting guidance in dealing with what the State 

 believes to be a serious aflatoxin problem with its 1993 corn 

 crop. Specifically, the State asked FDA to support Missouri's 

 use of blending. The State also submitted test results to 

 support this request. 



Blending involves the mixing of aflatoxin contaminated corn with 

 non-contaminated corn to produce a blended mixture of corn that 

 contains a level of aflatoxin suitable for animal feed use. The 

 Act prohibits blending; thus, under normal conditions, FDA would 

 not condone blending; however, the situation in Missouri does not 

 appear to be normal — that is, the climatic conditions this past 

 summer were clearly conducive to aflatoxin production. 



In responding to Missouri's request, we first stated that the FDA 

 action levels should serve as a primary means of controlling 



