Pet Food Mycotoxin Quality Control

# Pet Food Mycotoxin Quality Control

FDA Import Alert 23-14 detains pet food without physical examination for mycotoxins. This is one of the most common reasons pet food gets held at US customs.

What are mycotoxins?

Toxic metabolites from mold growth on raw materials:

• Aflatoxin — peanuts, corn
• Deoxynivalenol (DON/vomitoxin) — wheat, corn
• Zearalenone — corn
• Fumonisin — corn

Why pet food is vulnerable

1. Raw materials are grains (corn, wheat, rice)

2. High-protein ingredients (peanut meal, soy)

3. Poor storage (humid south)

4. Strict export requirements

FDA limits

| Toxin | US limit |

|-------|----------|

| Aflatoxin | 20 ppb |

| DON | 1 ppm |

| Zearalenone | Not mandatory but recommended |

| Fumonisin | 5 ppm |

QC process

Raw material

1. Test every batch (corn, wheat, peanut meal)

2. Supplier COA on file

3. Moisture <12%

4. Storage humidity <65%

Production

1. Re-test high-risk ingredients before use

2. Batch mixing uniformity

3. Finished product testing per batch

4. Retain samples for 6 months

Export

1. Third-party test reports (SGS/Intertek)

2. COA with shipment

3. Batch traceability

Testing cost

| Item | Cost |

|------|------|

| Aflatoxin | $30-$70/sample |

| DON | $30-$60/sample |

| Full 4-panel | $110-$220/sample |

| Expedited | 1.5x |

Common pitfalls

1. Trusting supplier COA without retesting

2. Humid season moisture control failure

3. No finished product testing

4. No batch traceability

5. No third-party report for export

Choosing a co-packer

1. Does it have mycotoxin testing?

2. Dry warehouse conditions?

3. Batch traceability system?

4. Export experience (no FDA detentions)?

5. Sample retention?

If you are exporting pet food, mycotoxin control is the first gate. Mixiaoqi pet food OEM/ODM has raw material retesting and third-party SGS testing for export.

FAQ

What's the aflatoxin limit?

US 20 ppb, China 10-20 ppb for feed.

Self-test or send out?

Both — high-risk ingredients self-test, finished product third-party.

What if FDA detains?

Return or destroy, no fix. Prevention is key.