Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Journal of Elementology, cilt.31, sa.2, ss.359-376, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
The health of livestock for human consumption is closely associated with animal feed. About 70%-80% of the product cost of poultry farming in Türkiye is constituted by the cost of feed. For this reason, feed must not contain toxins, contaminants, heavy metals, and harmful microorganisms in order to raise animals on healthy feed and improve the management of poultry. The aim of this study was to assess aflatoxin and toxic heavy metal contamination in poultry feeds and feed ingredients in Van province. A total of 30 samples comprising poultry feeds (n=15) and poultry feed ingredients (n=15) were analyzed for the detection of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2 and toxic heavy metals (Al, Ni, As, Cd, Pb). The concentrations of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2 in the samples were determined using HPLC, and heavy metal analyses were determined using ICP-MS. Aflatoxin was detected in 9 of 30 samples, and the aflatoxin levels detected in 4 samples were above the maximum permissible limit as recommended by the Turkish Food Codex, EU regulations and FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius. Different levels of aluminium, nickel, arsenic, cadmium and lead were detected in all samples in the study. They ranged from 1.097-19.046, 0.026-0.478, 0.0005-0.0127, 0.0001-0.0093, 0-0.0317 μg g-1 for aluminium, nickel, arsenic, cadmium, and lead, respectively. In this study, both aflatoxin and heavy metal levels in maize, barley and wheat samples examined as poultry feed ingredients were determined lower than in poultry feeds. According to these results, aflatoxin contamination in feeds is caused by the storage of feed in unsuitable conditions, and heavy metal contamination is largely due to the substances added to the feed later.