The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has set the following tolerances for aflatoxin:

• 20 parts per billion (ppb) Human food products, immature animals, and dairy cattle
• 100 ppb Breeding beef cattle, breeding hogs, and mature poultry
• 200 ppb Finishing hogs
• 300 ppb Finishing cattle

Another focus of the National Corn Growers Association's (NCGA) aflatoxin workshop Oct. 23-25 in Amarillo, Texas, will be on fumonisin, which is also known as fusarium ear rot and is produced by the mold fusarium monoliforme.

Fusarium ear rot is prevalent throughout the Midwest, but high levels of fumonisin usually only occur in severe dry years.

The FDA has not established formal tolerances for fumonisin. However the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians recommends the following limits:

• 5 parts per million (ppm) Horses
• 10 ppm Hogs
• 50 ppm Cattle