UNION, Mo. - Romer Labs announced that the USDA has extended the official quantification range for Romer Labs' FluoroQuant Afla to 5- 1000 ppb, according to a USDA memorandum released in August.
The FluoroQuant Afla, a test kit for high aflatoxin contamination, was approved by the Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), an arm of the USDA.
"We have seen very high aflatoxin levels in corn due to this year's weather conditions," said Michael Prinster, CEO of Romer Labs North America. "One sample we received from a Midwest corn producers showed 3,000 ppb aflatoxins, and this was no exception."
According to U.S. regulations, aflatoxin can be toxic to humans at over 20 ppb, but can be fed to some livestock up to 300 ppb. Extreme aflatoxin contamination risk, high commodity prices and a global shortage of corn makes it crucial for elevators to separate corn appropriately, Romer Labs said.
"A five-minute solution that can quantify aflatoxins in corn in such a wide range makes life a lot easier for elevator operators," said Steve Nenonen, Romer Labs' North American sales director. "The range extension by GIPSA is also important news for farmers who have to test every truck load they are claiming on their crop insurance in order to find acceptable corn for feed in bad fields."
FluoroQuant is a direct fluorometric test method which was first launched in 1995. Over the last decade, Romer Labs says it has continuously improved the produce without changing the principle of the method. Find out more information at RomerLabs.com.