OK: EMERGENCY RULE APPROVED TO HELP CORN GROWERS AFFECTED BY AFLATOXIN
News Date September 09, 2009
Governor Henry today signed an emergency rule September 2 to allow Oklahoma corn dealers to blend corn affected with specific levels of aflatoxin to be used to feed beef cattle in feedlots.
The rule adheres to specific guidelines established by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and will not allow interstate movement of the blended material. State Secretary of Agriculture, Terry Peach, said the Oklahoma rule is essentially identical to the aflatoxin guidelines used during previous outbreaks in other states and by Texas since 1991.
Under the new rule no blended corn can be used for human consumption or interstate trade. Unblended corn with less than 20 parts per billion (ppb) can be used or traded without restriction. The blended corn must be accompanied by a label indicating it is a blended product. The label must also state the level of aflatoxin in the product, the date of analysis, the intended use and must bear a warning label.
Aflatoxin analysis can be made by any qualified commercial laboratory. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry conducts the analysis for a charge of $35 per sample. Aflatoxin is a toxic chemical produced when the mold Aspergillus flavus grows on corn and other crops including peanuts and cottonseed. The chemical is a carcinogen and can be toxic to certain livestock. (Contact: Jack Carson at Jack.Carson@oda.state.ok.us)