Animal protein sources such as meat, egg and milk are complete proteins as they provide all essential amino acids in highest quality. To provide high quality protein to humans, livestock have to be fed with toxin free quality feedstuffs. Animal feed plays a major role in the global food industry, as it has highest returns to the producer throughout the world. Animal feeds are produced either by livestock farmers themselves locally or feed manufacturing companies.

Feeds produced have to be secured and stored in a proper manner to avoid microbial as well as any other biotic agents. Mycotoxins are such naturally occurring toxin produced by the fungal growth. The molds can grow in any of the feed stuffs like maize, other cereals, Groundnut cake and other oil cakes in warm humid climatic conditions. Mycotoxins can have variety of serious health hazards ranging from mild irritation to deadly cancers in livestock and humans. Addressing the issues related to mycotoxin is the need of the hour. With globalisation of the feed industry and rapid climatic changes, it is very difficult to enumerate the occurrence and presence of the toxin in the feedstuff.

These unnoticeable toxin effects may have direct and indirect impact on animal production system. It is very essential to have adequate knowledge about the metabolism, growth and reproduction of various mycotoxins and the toxicological properties of their intermediate products produced during metabolism to neutralize these toxins.

P. Tensingh Gnanaraj, Ph.D., is currently the Registrar of Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Tamil Nadu, India. He has more than 24 years of experience in the field of Livestock Production and Management.

L. Radhakrishnan, Ph.D., is currently the Professor and Head of Central Feed Technology Unit, a constituent unit of Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. He has more than 24 years of experience in the field of Animal Nutrition. He has profound knowledge in the field of feed manufacturing and quality control.

Ghadevaru Sarathchandra, PhD, is the Dean, Faculty of Basic Sciences, TANUVAS. He is European Registered Toxicologist, FST. He was instrumental in establishing Pharmacovigilance Laboratory for Animal Feed and Food Safety in TANUVAS and in getting ISO/NABL accreditation to the laboratories of the University.

A. Ruba Nanthini,M.V.Sc, is Assistant Professor working in Central Feed Technology Unit, TANUVAS. She is now in-charge of quality control, production and supply of animal feeds across the state.

1.Introduction to Mycotoxins, 2.Conditions for Mould Growth and Mycotoxins Production, 3.Effect of Mycotoxins On Rumen Fermentation and Nutrient Utilization, 4. Effect of Mycotoxins on Animal Performance, 5. Influence of Aflatoxin M-1 in Milk, 6.Estimation of Mycotoxins 7.Control Measures to Reduce Mycotoxins in Feed Ingredients and Crops, 8. Application of HACCP to Mycotoxins Control