Fumonisins are a group of closely related mycotoxins produced by Fusarium, Alternaria alternata and Aspergillus species. Their occurrence is correlated with various factors during growth, processing and storage. Fumonisins occurrence data in the literature mainly include the B group of fumonisins (FB1 & FB2) in raw materials, showing high frequency of positive samples in a wide range of concentrations. In this study, a total of 933 grains (63.7%) and poultry feed (36.3%) samples, collected in the 16-year period (2006–2021), were analysed with commercial enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay for detection of three fumonisins (FB1, FB2 & FB3). All positive and suspect samples were confirmed with high-performance-liquid-chromatography method with fluorescence detection. Overall, we have determined high occurrence of FBs in grains and poultry feed in all tested years, while the lowest occurrence was determined in 2019, followed by 2009 and 2008. Although, contamination levels varied from year-to-year, majority of analyzed samples in all tested years were around 1 mg/kg, while the maximum values varied from 3 mg/kg to 22.23 mg/kg. This study highlights the importance of regular monitoring of raw materials and understanding of the fate of FBs in the food chain in order to avoid undesirable health effects in animals and accompanied economic losses.

A survey on prevalence and number of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia (E.) coli (STEC) in animal feed was carried out over a period of nine years in the Republic of Croatia. A total of 1688 feed samples were collected from feed factories and poultry farms. Analysis included two standard procedures: sample enrichment and (a) immunomagnetic separation and plating on two selective media; or (b) plating on two selective media. Confirmation of STEC included morphological examination, biochemical tests, serotyping, and polymerase chain reaction. Morphological and biochemical characterization revealed 629 E. coli strains. Further serological screening method revealed 78 STEC and EPEC serotypes, while only 27 strains were confirmed as STEC with PCR. All positive samples (1.6%) originated from poultry farms and contained combination of virulence genes: eaeA, stx1, and/or stx2. Since the presence of stx (especially stx2) and eae are identified as risk factors for development of severe diseases in humans, results of this survey indicate that avian sources of STEC infections might be one of those “undefined sources” of human illnesses. Further research is necessary for evaluation of risks posed by contaminated feed, poultry, and environment.