Contaminants

There are two classes of feed contaminants. The first is a toxic or deleterious substance that is an inherent, naturally occurring constituent of an animal food and is not the result of environmental, agricultural, industrial or other contaminations. Examples of this class include some of the mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin and fumonisin, the glucosinolates, and the heavy metals, like lead and cadmium. The second class is made up of industrial toxic or deleterious substances, which are not naturally occurring and are increased to abnormal levels in the animal food through mishandling or other intervening acts. Examples of this class are the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and certain pesticides, like DDT (1,1’-(2,2,2-Trichloroethylidene)bis[4-chlorobenzene]). CVM may prohibit any detectable amount of a contaminant or establish a regulatory limit for the contaminant, taking into account the protection of the public health, the extent to which the presence of the contaminant cannot be avoided, and other ways in which the consumer may be affected by the presence of the contaminant.