Aflatoxin Residues in Tissues of Healthy and Sick Broiler Birds at Market Age in Pakistan: A One Year Study

The objective of this study was to determine the levels of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and total aflatoxins (AF) in broiler meat at market age. During one year period a total of 264 samples from 199 healthy and 65 sick flocks were collected. AFB1 residues in liver, kidneys and muscles of healthy birds were detected in 75.9, 44.7 and 21.6% samples, and the highest individual levels were 2.0, 0.99 and 0.49 ng/g, respectively. AFB1 residues in liver muscle and kidneys of sick birds were detected in 89.2, 70.8 and 55.4% and the highest individual levels were 7.99, 3.99 and 1.99 ng/g, respectively. The AFB1 residue level in 0.5% liver samples of healthy birds were 2 ng/g whereas in sick birds 23.1 and 6.2% of liver and kidneys had AFB1 residues above 2.0 ng/g. AFB1 levels in the muscles of both healthy and sick birds were below 2.0 ng/g. Among healthy birds none of the tissues had AF residue levels above 4 ng/g whereas in sick birds, 24.6 and 7.7% liver and kidneys had AF residues above 4.0 ng/g.