Cargill Inc. pulled nearly 300,000 pounds of animal feed from the market over the past three months due to elevated aflatoxin levels; a toxin found on moldy crops that if ingested can kill animals.
The recall, announced Tuesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, includes chicken and cattle feed, as well as some sheep and goat feed, including the Triple 10 Horse Feed, all sold under the Southern States brand.
Cargill has removed all the product from retail shelves and contacted some customers, asking them to throw away the affected product. The recalled products were distributed in Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Aflatoxins can cause aflatoxicosis, which, in its acute form, can result in generalized hemorrhage, bloody diarrhea, and death in 1-3 days. Its effects and health consequences are the same across all species and age classes, but primarily affects immature animals, also causing reduced feed intake, reduced weight gain, liver damage, jaundice, and eventually death.
The company learned of the issue when the North Carolina Department of Agriculture notified them of test results showing a lot of a specific Southern States product with high levels of aflatoxin.
Cargill says they identified and corrected the root cause.
| Product | Size | Lot Code | Product Code | Species | Date Made | Shelf Life |
| Southern States Triple 10 (CN) | 50 lb | N9043 | 554270 | Equine | Feb. 2019 | 60 days |
If you have any of the recalled products, you’re asked to return any remaining product to the place of purchase for a replacement or refund. You can call the company at 800-822-1012 (Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time) for more information.
If your animal is experiencing any adverse health consequences related to the feeding of the recalled feed notify the FDA immediately of the problem.
FDA guidelines for acceptable aflatoxin level in corn is referenced in the FDA Compliance Policy Guide CPG Sec. 683.100 Action Levels for Aflatoxins in Animal Feeds are listed below.
| Animal | Feed | Aflatoxin level |
| Finishing beef cattle | Corn and peanut product | 300 ppb |
| Beef cattle, swine or poultry | Cottonseed meal | 300 ppb |
| Finishing swine of 100 lbs. or greater | Corn and peanut products | 200 ppb |
| Breeding beef cattle, breeding swine, or mature poultry | Corn and peanut products | 100 ppb |
| Immature animals | Animal feeds and ingredients, excluding cottonseed meal | 20 ppb |
| Dairy animals, for animal species or uses not specified above, or when the intended use is not known | Animal feeds and ingredients | 20 ppb |
According to the Merck Veterinary Manual dietary levels of aflatoxin (in ppb) generally tolerated are ≤50 in young poultry, ≤100 in adult poultry, ≤50 in weaner pigs, ≤200 in finishing pigs, <50 in dogs, <100 in calves, and <300 in cattle. Approximately two times the tolerable levels stated is likely to cause clinical disease, including some mortality.
Find a full list of affected products at fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/cargill-conducts-voluntary-recall-select-southern-statesr-feed-due-highexcessiveor-elevated.
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