Assessment of ingredients in animal feed

Undesirable substances in animal feed are defined as contamination of animal feed with undesirable substances that originate from the environment or the manufacturing process of animal feed production. Such contaminants can be of natural origin (e.g. mycotoxins) or originate from human activity (e.g. dioxins and PCBs, lead, etc.). The contamination of animal feed with undesirable substances is also assessed by the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment with regard to their harmlessness to human and animal health. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the European Commission (Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety) set maximum levels for the contamination of feed with harmful substances.