Global mycotoxin survey of 2025- harvested corn

Global mycotoxin survey of 2025harvested corn

April 2026

Goals

The corn samples were delivered to PATENT CO. lab and Betagro between Sep 2025 & Feb 2026.

The aim of the present study was to quantify mycotoxins in corn samples from di erent regions of Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam using LC-MS/MS based multi-mycotoxin method.

PATENT CO. research lab,

Mišićevo, Serbia

European Union (EU) regulated and related mycotoxins: aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2), deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisins (FB1, FB2, FB3), HT-2 toxin, ochratoxin A (OTA), T-2 toxin, and zearalenone (ZEN).

Emerging mycotoxins: beauvericin (BEA), enniatin (ENNA, ENNA1, ENNB, ENNB1), fusaric acid (FA), and moniliformin (MON).

Other mycotoxins: 15-acetyl deoxynivalenol (15-ADON), 3-acetyl deoxynivalenol (3-ADON), deoxynivalenol 3-glucoside (D-3-G), diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), neosolaniol (NEO), nivalenol (NIV), zearalanone (ZAN), α – zearalenol (α-ZEL) and β – zearalenol (β-ZEL), diacetoxyscirpenol, neosolaniol, fusarenon x, citrinin, patulin, and alternariol.

Countries:

Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Peru.

Samples analysed using LC-MS/MS (Agilent 6460 series)1, at PATENT CO., Serbia.

Betagro Science Centre, Khlong Luang, Thailand

Mycotoxins: aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2), deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisins (FB1 and FB2), ochratoxin A (OTA), T-2 toxin, and zearalenone (ZEN).

Samples were analysed using LC-MS/MS (Waters, Xevo TQ-X)2 at Betagro Science Centre, Khlong Luang, Thailand.

Countries: China, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In Brazil, samples were tested using ELISA in an external laboratory.

Mycotoxins: aflatoxin (total AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2), deoxynivalenol, fumonisins (total FB1, FB2, and FB3), and zearalenone.

1Farkas et al., 2025 (46 Mycotoxins Workshop, May 25-28, 2025, Martina Franka, Italy)

2Kongcheep et al., 2026 (47 Mycotoxins Workshop, June 01-03, 2026. Berlin, Germany)

Table 1: Mycotoxin contamination in corn samples from Algeria in 2025

29 141 15 0.62 22

3 6 3 2 12

23 33 28 5 10

Figure 1:

Prevalence (%) of mycotoxins in 2025-harvested Algerian corn <LOQ 1 MYCOTOXIN >1 MYCOTOXIN

• 96% of corn samples from Algeria were contaminated with more than one mycotoxin.

• BEA, FA, and fumonisins were the dominant mycotoxins detected.

• Present average mycotoxin exposure in Algeria poses a high risk in ruminants and aquaculture, and a moderate risk in poultry.

Table 2: Mycotoxin contamination in corn samples from Argentina in 2025

Figure 2:

Prevalence (%) of mycotoxins in 2025-harvested corn from Argentina

• 68% of corn samples from Argentina were contaminated with more than one mycotoxin.

• FA and fumonisins were the dominant mycotoxins detected.

• Present average mycotoxin exposure in Argentina poses a high risk in pigs, and a moderate risk in poultry, ruminants, and aquaculture.

Austria

Table 3:

Mycotoxin contamination in corn samples from Austria in 2025

Table 4:

Mycotoxin contamination in corn samples from Brazil in 2025

Figure 3:

Prevalence (%) of mycotoxins in 2025-harvested Austrian corn

Figure 4:

Prevalence (%) of mycotoxins in 2025-harvested corn in Brazil

• 94% of corn samples from Austria were contaminated with more than one mycotoxin.

• BEA, DON, ENNs, and FA were the dominant mycotoxins detected.

• Present average mycotoxin exposure in Austria poses a moderate risk in all species.

• Fumonisins were the dominant mycotoxins detected.

• Present average mycotoxin exposure in Brazil poses a moderate risk in all species.

Table 5:

Mycotoxin contamination in corn samples from Chile in 2025

1 1 0 0 14

24 288 3 1 79

128 686 71 28 41

147 1,198 43 7 93

832 3,218 815 33 52

434 1,269 426 26 38

Figure 5:

Prevalence (%) of mycotoxins in 2025-harvested corn in Chile

Table 6:

Mycotoxin contamination in corn samples from China in 2025 <LOQ 1 MYCOTOXIN

>1 MYCOTOXIN

• 93% of corn samples from Chile were contaminated with more than one mycotoxin.

• BEA, FA, and fumonisins were the dominant mycotoxins detected.

• Present average mycotoxin exposure in Chile poses a moderate risk in pigs, and a low risk in poultry, ruminants, and aquaculture.

Figure 6:

Prevalence (%) of mycotoxins in 2025-harvested corn in China

<LOQ

1 MYCOTOXIN

>1 MYCOTOXIN

• 89% of corn samples from China were contaminated with more than 1 mycotoxin.

• DON, fumonisins, and ZEN were the dominant mycotoxins detected.

• Present average mycotoxin exposure in China poses a high risk in pigs, ruminants, and aquaculture, and a moderate risk in poultry.

Table 7:

Mycotoxin contamination in corn samples from Colombia in 2025

Costa Rica

Table 8: Mycotoxin

AFB1 7 16 5 2 12

14 79 5 1 77

503 1,932 346 33 81

205 761 142 26 79

65 189 49 26 60

24 89 14 3 42

20 33 20 8 7

• Co-occurrence with multiple mycotoxins a ected all corn samples from Colombia.

BEA, FA, and fumonisins were the dominant mycotoxins detected. Present average mycotoxin exposure in Colombia poses a moderate risk in aquaculture, and a low risk in poultry, pigs, and

• Co-occurrence with multiple mycotoxins a ected all corn samples from Costa Rica.

• BEA, DON, ENNs, FA, fumonisins, MON, and ZEN were the dominant mycotoxins detected.

• Present average mycotoxin exposure in Costa Rica poses a high risk in pigs, ruminants, and aquaculture, and a moderate risk in poultry.

Table 9:

Mycotoxin contamination in corn samples from Ecuador in 2025

Table 10: Mycotoxin contamination in corn samples from Mexico in 2025

AFB1 13 124 4 1 58

30 287 6 1 64

152 663 122 16 94

1,141 4,087 876 174 94

453 1,870 346 63 94

131 409 102 26 89

14 60 8 3 19

51 158 25 12 14

• Co-occurrence with multiple mycotoxins a ected all corn samples from Ecuador.

• AFB1, BEA, FA, and fumonisins were the dominant mycotoxins detected.

• Present average mycotoxin exposure in Ecuador poses a high risk in ruminants, a moderate risk in poultry and pigs, and a low risk in aquaculture.

• Co-occurrence with multiple mycotoxins a ected all corn samples from Mexico.

• BEA, DON, FA, fumonisins, and MON were the dominant mycotoxins detected.

• Present average mycotoxin exposure in Mexico poses a high risk in ruminants, and a moderate risk in poultry, pigs, and aquaculture.

Table 11:

Mycotoxin contamination in corn samples from Morocco in 2025

Table 12:

in corn

15-ADON 35 64 28 23 12

6 51 5 1 98

95 326 64 17 98

926 3,758 634 57 100

727 15,143 276 28 98

117 406 88 26 88

12 26 6 4 16

• Co-occurrence with multiple mycotoxins a ected all corn samples from Morocco.

• BEA, FA, and fumonisins were the dominant mycotoxins detected.

• Present average mycotoxin exposure in Morocco poses a moderate risk in aquaculture, and a low risk in poultry and ruminants.

• Co-occurrence with multiple mycotoxins a ected all corn samples from Peru.

• AFB1, DON, BEA, FA, fumonisins, and ZEN were the dominant mycotoxins detected.

• Present average mycotoxin exposure in Peru poses a high risk in all species.

Table 13:

Mycotoxin contamination in corn samples from Philippines in 2025

(ppb)

AFB1 455 1,442 356 16 100

AFB2 16 59 10 1 98

FB1 320 1,150 344 22 98

FB2 140 459 132 22 80

ZEN 191 357 182 17 14

• Co-occurrence with multiple mycotoxins a ected all corn samples from Philippines.

• Average aflatoxin concentrations were critical.

• Aflatoxins and fumonisins were the dominant mycotoxins detected.

• Present average mycotoxin exposure in Philippines poses a critical risk in all species.

Serbia

Table 14:

AFB1 60 521 25 0 56

AFB2 4 21 2 0 31

AFG1 144 297 148 11 6

Figure 7: Prevalence (%) of mycotoxins in 2025-harvested corn in Serbia

• Average aflatoxin concentrations in corn samples from Serbia were critical.

• Aflatoxins and fumonisins were the dominant mycotoxins detected.

• Present average mycotoxin exposure in Serbia poses a high risk in all animal species.

South Africa

Table 15:

• Co-occurrence with multiple mycotoxins a ected all corn samples from South Africa.

• BEA, DON, FA, and ZEN were the dominant mycotoxins detected.

• Present average mycotoxin exposure in South Africa poses a high risk in pigs and aquaculture, and a moderate risk in poultry and ruminants.

South Korea

• Co-occurrence with multiple mycotoxins a ected all corn samples from South Korea.

• BEA, DON, FA, MON, and ZEN were the dominant mycotoxins detected.

• Present average mycotoxin exposure in South Korea poses a low risk in all animal species. Table 16:

Table 17:

Mycotoxin contamination in corn samples from Thailand in 2025

Table 18:

Mycotoxin contamination in corn samples from Vietnam in 2025

AFB1 34 130 23 3 19

AFB2 6 9 6 2 10

DON 561 3,391 226 64 49

FB1 2,120 55,151 626 25 94

FB2 637 18,935 144 25 92

ZEN 76 587 32 8 51

• Co-occurrence with multiple mycotoxins a ected all corn samples from Thailand.

• Average aflatoxin and fumonisin concentrations were high.

• Aflatoxins and Fusarium mycotoxins (DON, fumonisins, and ZEN) were the dominant mycotoxins detected.

• Present average mycotoxin exposure in Thailand poses a critical risk in ruminants, and a high risk in poultry, pigs, and aquaculture.

AFB1 22 86 1 1 47

AFB2 4 8 4 1 16

DON 143 803 82 21 47 FB1 964 2,030 919 141 100

408 925 377 55 100

47 164 38 11 47

• Co-occurrence with multiple mycotoxins a ected all corn samples from Vietnam.

• Fumonisins were the dominant mycotoxins detected.

• Present average mycotoxin exposure in Algeria poses a high risk in ruminants, and a moderate risk in poultry, pigs, and aquaculture.

World map of mycotoxins

Summary of the global mycotoxin

survey of 2025-harvested corn

This study provides valuable insights into the co-occurrence and co-contamination, of aflatoxins, emerging mycotoxins and Fusarium-produced mycotoxins in the majority of 2025-harvested corn samples from 18 countries.

Aflatoxins, particularly AFB1, pose the most significant threat, frequently exceeding regulatory limits for both human and animal consumption. Fumonisins also remained a critical concern, similarly as in previous years, with levels potentially heightened by warmer temperatures during the growing season.

Co-occurrence has significant implications for food and feed safety, as combined exposure to multiple mycotoxins can lead to synergistic toxic e ects, increasing human and animal health risks.

Prevalence (%) of >1 mycotoxin per sample

Country Mycotoxins detected

ALGERIA 96

AFB1, DON, FA, FB1, FB2, FB3

ARGENTINA 68 FA, FB1, FB2, FB3

AUSTRIA 94

BRAZIL 95

DON, BEA, FA, MON, T-2, ZEN

AFB1, DON, FB1, ZEN

CHINA 89 DON, FB1

CHILE 93

COLOMBIA 100

COSTA RICA 100

ECUADOR 100

MEXICO 100

MOROCCO 100

PHILIPPINES 100

PERU 100

SERBIA 56

BEA, FA, FB1

BEA, FA, FB1, FB2, FB3

BEA, DON, FA, FB1, FB2, FB3, MON, ZEN

AFB1, BEA, DON, FA, FB1, FB2, FB3

AFB1, BEA, DON, FA, FB1, FB2, FB3, MON

BEA, FA, FB1, FB2, FB3

AFB1, AFB2, FB1, FB2

AFB1, BEA, DON, FA, FB1, FB2, FB3, ZEN

AFB1, AFB2, FB1, FB2, FB3

SOUTH AFRICA 100 BEA, DON, FA

SOUTH KOREA 100

THAILAND 100

VIETNAM 100

BEA, DON, FB1, FB2, FB3, MON, ZEN

DON, FB1, FB2, ZEN

AFB1, DON, FB1, FB2

World map of mycotoxins in corn

High

SOUTH AFRICA

THAILAND

This report is informational and does not constitute feeding advice; no liability is accepted for any loss or damage arising from its use.