FEATURE Food & Beverage


Deadly mycotoxins in pet food cost pet health and brand trust


Mycotoxins are a poisonous chemical found in the corn used in pet food. They cause animal sickness, so to solve the problem, Bühler has developed a solution that uses the spectral scale to identify mold


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n 2021, the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) alerted customers of fatal levels of afl atoxin found in 1,000 lots of pet food; afl atoxin is a strand of mycotoxin that attacks the liver. From the bad batch, 130 dogs died. This provoked lawsuits and anger from dog owners and the wider industry. However, the damage of mycotoxin contamination does not stop there.


Recalling product is expensive One of the major costs of mycotoxin contamination is market recall, which is not cheap. In fact, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) discovered that the average cost of market recall is $10m in direct costs alone. The fi nancial hits of recalling product include disposing of the product, reimbursing customers and business interruption. The GMA survey showed that 81% of respondents deemed the fi nancial risk of market recall to be “signifi cant, to catastrophic”.


Contaminated product damages Financial costs and damage to health are not the only repercussions of mycotoxin contamination. Once the media are aware of the situation, brand image can take a signifi cant hit. For consumers, it takes a lot to repair trust in a brand, and while brand damage is diffi cult to measure, this can further cost companies millions in lifetime value.


Unacceptable mass waste, too! To solve this issue, Bühler developed SORTEX LumoVision, a solution that uses the spectral scale to kick out mold from pet food, keeping the costs of market recall down and pets safe. Before the LumoVision, contaminated grain would have been disposed of in large amounts. During testing, if the batch has a high concentration of mycotoxin, in many cases the entire batch is destroyed. In fact, as few as two highly-contaminated grains in 10,000 can render an entire batch unsafe.


30 May 2023 | Automation


The FDA estimates that $932m is lost per year to crops contaminated with mycotoxin. This removal of the contaminated material may protect the consumer, but it costs businesses and the environment a lot more.


What can be done? Bühler SORTEX faced the challenge of mycotoxin contamination head on. After discovering a break- through “invisible indicator” of contamination on the spectral scale, Bühler created the LumoVision, an optical sorter that can reduce the afl atoxin level by up to 90% (as indicated by industrial trials). This reduction brings many samples to regulation levels, saving companies from the costs of large-scale material waste and market recall. The solution works by analysing the colour each kernel fl uoresces as it passes under UV lighting in the sorter. It is known that contaminated kernels fl uoresce a specifi c bright green colour, a substance called kojic acid, which is produced by the Aspergillus fungus at the same time as it produces afl atoxin. LumoVision’s proprietary, highly-sensitive cameras and a powerful LED-based UV lighting system can precisely detect this colour of fl uorescence. Within milliseconds of detection, air nozzles deploy to blow contaminated kernels out of the product stream.


When dealing with toxins, early intervention is critical. “Mycotoxins are a worldwide concern. However, technology made possible by Bühler SORTEX enables a preventative solution, meaning that mycotoxins can be dealt with early, stopping the spread and removing the contamination to meet regulatory standards,” said Dr Gerardo Morantes, Director of Food Safety-


[Image: Jornada Produtora for Unsplash]


Americas Region at Buhler. With the SORTEX LumoVision, brands can stay profi table, pets can stay safe and customers can stay happy.”


CONTACT:


Bühler www.buhlergroup.com


automationmagazine.co.uk


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