When it comes to mycotoxin management, animal nutritionists live with a persistent frustration. We work tirelessly to reduce risks, yet the tools at our disposal often feel blunt. We sample feed, send it to the lab and construct strategies around the results. But in our hearts, we know the truth: those results rarely tell the whole story.
Mycotoxins are not evenly distributed in feed. They are patchy, dynamic and, in many cases, hidden in conjugated or masked forms. One part of a feed lot may be clean while another, just a few meters away, carries dangerous levels. Even the most careful sampling cannot reliably overcome this problem. Research shows that more than 75% of the error in estimating mycotoxin risk comes from sampling alone. That is a sobering number – and one we have lived with for decades.
