Legislative frameworks about contamination are often limited to foods and underestimate the role of animal nutrition for safe production. This study aims to assess mineral oil hydrocarbon (MOH) contamination in feed and identify the technological factors that are contributing to this issue, particularly focused on mechanised harvesting and processing. Three dairy farms, classified by contamination risk (low, medium, and high), were selected, and fifteen feed samples were analysed using the coupled liquid chromatography–gas chromatography–flame ionisation detection (LC–GC–FID) method, with a microwave-assisted saponification (MAS) step to determine mineral oil saturated (MOSH) and aromatic (MOAH) hydrocarbon levels. Important contamination levels were observed depending on the technological development of each farm. MOSH levels ranged from 11.4 mg/kg to 81.40 mg/kg, while MOAH levels ranged from 0.5 mg/kg to 4.6 mg/kg. MOAH accounted for 4.74% of the total MOH content. The results showed a connection between feed production technologies and MOH contamination levels. Factors such as the mechanisation, the machinery used, and the storage conditions were potentially contributors to contamination, while chemical treatments had no direct impact but some potential risks. The contamination levels varied across farms, indicating certain contamination sources beyond technological factors. Advanced technological measures and proper equipment maintenance are suggested to mitigate MOH contamination risks in feed.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of filamentous fungi that cause massive agricultural losses worldwide and constitute a significant health problem for humans and animals. The aim of this five-year study was to investigate the contamination of compound feed for broiler chickens at all stages (starter, grower and finisher) from a feed mill in Romania with mycotoxins such as total aflatoxins (AFT), deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisins (FUMs), ochratoxin A (OTA) and zearalenone (ZEN). AFT was detected in 49.3–72.2% of the samples with concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 5.2 µg/kg. DON was detected in 77.6–98.9% of the samples, with maximum concentrations ranging from 330 to 1740 µg/kg. FUM contamination ranged from 42.7% to 87.2%, with maximum levels between 460 and 1400 µg/kg. OTA was present in 44.2–87.9% of the samples, with maximum concentrations reaching 21.4 µg/kg. ZEN was consistently elevated at all feeding stages, being detected in 86.5–97.4% of the samples, with maximum levels of 89.4 µg/kg. Mycotoxin co-occurrence was common in the samples, with the most common combination of four mycotoxins occurring in 38.51% of the samples. Samples were collected from storage bunkers, homogenised and analysed in certified laboratories, with sampling procedures varying according to batch size to ensure representativeness. Investigation of the transfer of mycotoxins into animal products and the combined effects of mycotoxins on animal health, including potential synergistic or antagonistic interactions, is particularly relevant. This study emphasises the essential role of comprehensive and continuous monitoring of mycotoxins in protecting animal health and food safety.

Cultured meat is an emerging innovation with the potential to contribute to sustainable animal production by reducing the environmental and ethical challenges associated with conventional animal farming. In Romania, this new source of protein is viewed with both interest and scepticism, reflecting broader consumer uncertainties about food innovations. Market data indicates that Romania faces a significant deficit in animal protein supply (exceeding 65% for pork, as well as notable deficits in fish and beef), while also recording one of the largest overall trade deficits in pet food. In this context, the present study explored the openness of respondents in northeastern Romania to the consumption of cultivated meat, taking into account both personal diet and pet nutrition. The results showed that 33.2% of participants were fully willing to feed their pets cultured meat products, and 70% supported its introduction to the market, provided that regulatory frameworks ensure product safety and quality. Although Romania does not currently have the legal and technological infrastructure necessary to integrate cultured meat into the food system, these findings highlight the potential role of consumer acceptance in shaping future nutritional strategies aimed at sustainable, high-quality protein alternatives for humans and pets alike.

Compound feed and the raw materials used in their production are potential vectors of microbiological contamination in the food chain. The purpose of this study was to microbiologically asses raw materials (maize, wheat, soybean meal, and sunflower meal), and broiler compound feed (starter, grower, and finisher) from a representative feed mill in Romania; the microbiological contaminants that were analyzed were yeasts and molds, Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, and Clostridium perfringens. Our study occured during the years 2019 and 2020; in 2019, 191 samples of raw materials and 360 samples of compound feed were analyzed and in 2020, 143 samples of raw materials and 241 samples of compound feed were analzyed. Among the tested samples of raw materials, the mean values of the yeasts and molds for maize, wheat, soybean, and sunflower meal were 1.3 × 10³, 9.5 × 10², 6.4 × 10², and 7.4 × 10² cfu/g in 2019 and 1.5 × 10³, 1.0 × 10³, 5.2 × 10², and 7.1 × 10² cfu/g in 2020. In the analyzed compound feed samples, the mean amounts for the starter, grower, and finisher were 5.9 × 10², 4.2 × 10², and 4.2 × 10² cfu/g in 2019 and 5.3 × 10², 6.5 × 10², and 5.8 × 10² cfu/g in 2020. Potentially toxigenic fungi from Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium genera have been identified as the most common in all of the samples. In the raw materials, in both years the highest numbers of Aspergillus-positive samples were recorded: 66.6% in 2019 and 100% in 2020 for the maize samples, 50% in 2019 and 75% in 2020 for the wheat samples, 76% in 2019 and 87.5% in 2020 for the soybean meal samples and 71.4% in 2019 and 100% in 2020 for the sunflower meal. In the starter compound feed, the Aspergillus genera was prevailing in 2019 (46.6%), while in 2020, the species of the Penicillium and Cladosporium genera were identified in the majority of the samples (50%); for the grower and finisher compound feed, the Aspergillus genera was predominantly identified in 2019 (60% and 72.2% of the samples, respectively) and 2020 (61.5% and 46.6%, respectively). All of the results of the bacteriological analysis for determining the contamination with Salmonella spp., E. coli, and Clostridium perfringens were negative. Based on the results obtained in this study, monitoring and analysis of microbiological hazards in a feed mill will help to control and prevent contamination and have a direct impact on food safety.