The aflatoxin limit for groundnut meal is set by your country's feed law, not by India. Most regulators set lower limits for feed given to dairy animals and young stock, and higher limits for some adult animals.
Because the numbers are revised from time to time, check the current limit with your national feed authority before you write the specification. Then make the supplier's contract limit stricter than the legal limit, to leave room for sampling error.
Why groundnut meal is high risk
Aflatoxins are produced by Aspergillus moulds. Groundnut is especially prone because the pods grow in the soil and can be damaged or left damp at harvest. Mould can also grow during storage if moisture is high.
Crushing does not destroy aflatoxin. Most of it stays in the meal, not the oil, so the meal can be more concentrated than the original seed. For dairy cows there is a further concern: aflatoxin B1 in feed is converted to aflatoxin M1, which passes into milk.
How the main markets approach it
- EU: maximum levels for aflatoxin B1 in feed materials and compound feed are set under the rules on undesirable substances in animal feed, Directive 2002/32/EC as amended, with stricter levels for feed for dairy animals and young animals.
- US: the FDA uses action levels for aflatoxin in feed that differ by species, age and use, with the lowest levels for dairy and immature animals.
- Other markets: many Asian and Middle Eastern importers set their own limits, sometimes on total aflatoxins rather than B1 alone.
- Your own customers: feed mills and integrators often set a tighter internal limit than the law.
Writing it into the contract
State which aflatoxins are measured, B1 alone or total B1, B2, G1 and G2, and give the unit, usually micrograms per kilogram (parts per billion). Name the method, such as HPLC or LC-MS/MS, and require an NABL-accredited lab for the pre-shipment test.
Aflatoxin is not spread evenly. A few contaminated particles can lift a whole lot, so one small sample proves little. Agree how many sub-samples are taken across the lot, how they are combined, and who seals them. The idea is explained in what a sealed, coded sample is and why it matters.
What reduces the risk at source
- Seed: crushers who reject damaged, mouldy or damp kernels before crushing.
- Drying: seed and meal kept at low moisture, often around 10 percent or less, for illustration.
- Storage: dry, ventilated godowns with stock rotated so old meal does not sit.
- Testing: a test on every lot, not one certificate for the season.
- Shipping: dry containers and good stowage to stop condensation, as in how to prevent condensation and mould in oilseed containers.
How Creston & Co handles this
We look at how a crusher buys, dries and stores seed during the audit, then draw and seal lot samples for aflatoxin testing at an NABL-accredited lab before loading. You receive the original reports. Ask for a free sourcing review.