Grain dealers must complete a compliance agreement with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship before doing any blending
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Department’s request to allow corn containing more than 20 parts per billion (ppb) of aflatoxin to be blended with corn with lower levels or no aflatoxin for animal feed. This allows the corn to be safely fed to livestock pursuant to the FDA’s long-standing guidelines.
Before doing any blending of corn containing aflatoxin, the grain dealers and the Department must sign a compliance agreement. A memorandum outlining the application process and a copy of the compliance agreement will be sent to all grain dealers licensed by the Department and can also be found on the Department’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov under Hot Topics.
The compliance agreement outlines the requirements for grain dealers that will be blending corn containing aflatoxin.
These requirements including that the blended product is below the appropriate aflatoxin action level in corn used as or in animal feed as outlined in FDA Guidance Document, Compliance Policy Guide- Section 683.100, “Action Levels for Aflatoxin in Animal Feeds.” FDA granted Iowa a similar request during droughts in 2003 and 2005 when aflatoxin was found in the state.
This is an important and welcome development for our industry. AAI appreciates the work that IDALS and others undertook to address the alfatoxin issues due to this summer’s drought on behalf of the industry.