Flooded Feed

Iowa Flooded Feed Testing

The Iowa Department of Agriculture has decided that to even be considered for use in animal feed, flooded crops would need to go through testing.  The following guidelines were issued from the Food and Drug Administration-Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA-CVM):

  1. Mycotoxins to include at least aflatoxin, fumonisin, vomitoxin, zearalenone, and ochratoxin. [Mycotoxins should not be present above guidance levels found on FDA’s website.]
  2. Heavy metals, with emphasis on cadmium, mercury, and lead. [Maximum acceptable levels for these metals in complete animal feeds are available in the NAS/NRC “Mineral Tolerance of Domestic Animals".]
  3. Presence of certain pathogenic bacteria and their toxins, especially Salmonella, E. coli 0157:H7, and Clostridium perfringens and botulinum. Heat treatment should have been sufficient to destroy pathogenic organisms.
  4. Pesticide screen, with particular emphasis on organophosphate and chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides. [Information on multi-residue pesticide test screens and permitted pesticide levels on food and feed is available on FDA’s website.]
  5. Presence of PCBs [polychlorinated biphenyls] consistent with the levels found in Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 500.45.
OTHER LINKS

Flooding and Stored Grain - ISU Extension

FDA homepage

FDA - Safety of food affected by hurricanes, flooding etc.

FDA - Guidance levels for poisonous substances

If the above criteria are followed, FDA, Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), will not require the submission of a diversion request as outlined in FDA’s Compliance Policy Guide 675.100 (CPG 7126.05) and 675.200 (CPG 7126.20) for the use of these flood damaged crops in animal feed. However, the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship, Feed & Fertilizer Bureau should be notified of any attempt to clean, process, test, and sell or use these crops in animal feed. Sample results should be provided.

Additional testing of specific industrial or environmental contaminants maybe required as information on the industries and facilities located near crops in affected areas becomes available.

Once testing results are available the producer should call FDA-CVM with the results of testing and a plan of how the feed will be used. Approval of feed will be on a case by case basis. 

FDA-CVM contact information in the Kansas City office are:
Daniel Hutchison  913-752-2774
Rich Pendelton 913-752-2101 

Communication from Bill Northey, former Iowa Secretary of Agriculture