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Aflatoxins #81525
02/03/06 03:17 PM
02/03/06 03:17 PM
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 22,749
80 acres of paradise in KS
Dancing Offline OP
Glideritis Anonymous
Dancing  Offline OP
Glideritis Anonymous

Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 22,749
80 acres of paradise in KS
I thought after reading some other posts about aflatoxins that I would make a short post here to try to clarify.

Aflatoxin is from mold that grows on corn/corncob bedding. Not from the corn itself.

Crickets that are raised in the corn/corncob bedding risk injesting the mold containing aflatoxins which is then consumed by the gliders when they eat the crickets.

Crickets themselves are a safe food for gliders providing they have not injested the aflatoxins from the mold.

Aflatoxins are not only a danger to gliders but recently there was a brand of dog food that had been contaminatied with moldy corn products. This lead to the death of several dogs and resulted in the dog food being recalled.

Just be careful of what you are feeding to your gliders and other animals and know the source they are coming from.

I was just recently told that Petco now keeps their crickets in alphfa instead of corn/corncob bedding because of the aflatoxins. However...since Petco does not raise the crickets themselves, you have to consider how were the crickets housed BEFORE Petco got them.


620-704-9109
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Re: Aflatoxins [Re: ] #81526
02/03/06 03:20 PM
02/03/06 03:20 PM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 15,514
Long Island, NY
gliderdad79 Offline
Glideritis Anonymous
gliderdad79  Offline
Glideritis Anonymous

Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 15,514
Long Island, NY
Good post Teresa, thank you


Eddie

In the Tropics somewhere between the port of indecision and southeast of disorder!

"Great people talk about ideas. Average people talk about things. Small people talk about other people."

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Re: Aflatoxins [Re: ] #81527
02/03/06 03:42 PM
02/03/06 03:42 PM
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 4,236
Illinois, USA
CritterHill Offline
Glider Addict
CritterHill  Offline
Glider Addict

Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 4,236
Illinois, USA
Very interesting, thanks for posting. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Catherine

Re: Aflatoxins [Re: ] #81528
02/03/06 04:52 PM
02/03/06 04:52 PM

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Good Info. Surprisingly, there are so many that still feed the crickets that are bedded in the corn meal. That's why it is my wish to someday start my own farm so I can control the food source and such.

Thanks Teresa!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumb.gif" alt="" />

Re: Aflatoxins [Re: ] #81529
02/03/06 06:18 PM
02/03/06 06:18 PM

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I`m so glad you posted this too! I have had people in here say, Oh my gosh, you feed crickets?!?! They have aflatoxins! Hope fully a lot of people will read this.

What about those green cricket feeding cubes? The ones that look like jello. I was in the pet store yesterday and almost bought some live crickets when she told me they feed those cubes. I figured that was a great thing until we read the ingredients and found that they contained cornmeal. I wouldn`t have figured! But anyways, could that stuff mold too do you think?

Re: Aflatoxins [Re: ] #81530
02/03/06 06:31 PM
02/03/06 06:31 PM

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that is gutload, and as far as I know, no corn products. We'll have to call Charlie H in and see if he has the ingredients to that stuff.

Re: Aflatoxins [Re: ] #81531
02/03/06 07:13 PM
02/03/06 07:13 PM

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I was just trying to find this product and came across this, where they will send you free samples, you just have to register. Is the product you're talking about the one listed, Cricket Total Bites?

All I could find on it is: "Contains more than 15 vitamins and minerals, including Spirulina."

Nature Zone Products

Re: Aflatoxins [Re: ] #81532
02/03/06 08:40 PM
02/03/06 08:40 PM

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Yup Cycy, that was the bottle they had next to their crickets and the girl at the pet shop said that it has cornmeal in it. That really shocked me!

Re: Aflatoxins [Re: ] #81533
02/03/06 09:00 PM
02/03/06 09:00 PM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,659
Wallis Texas
Charlie H Offline
Glider Slave
Charlie H  Offline
Glider Slave

Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,659
Wallis Texas
There are several different gut loads on the market. Seems there is no particular recipe for it though. They all contain different ingredients and have different analysis. ESU even has a liquid gut load drink for crickets. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> But most of them have corn.

The aflatoxin problem that comes from the crickets is that they are bedded in ground up corn cobs and quiet often fed corn meal. If the temperature and moisture are right the stuff will mold and aflatoxins have the perfect enviornment to develope. It could happen to people raising their own mealies and feeding cornmeal. We do not farm our own mealies but order them from Grubco. We then place them in a ventilated plastic container filled with corn meal and put them in the refrigerator. So far we haven't had a problem.

Our only encounter with aflatoxins came from human grade peanuts a few years ago.
Charlie H


Rescue & Rehabilation
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/glidertree/
[]glidertree@toast.net[/]
Re: Aflatoxins [Re: ] #81534
02/03/06 10:05 PM
02/03/06 10:05 PM

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Good to know Charlie.

I suspect that when some products such as the Cricket Total Bites are produced for consumption, even if for pets, they would probably be safe, even if corn product is used. The production operation used should eliminate such bacterial microorganisms.

Re: Aflatoxins [Re: ] #81535
02/04/06 07:41 AM
02/04/06 07:41 AM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,659
Wallis Texas
Charlie H Offline
Glider Slave
Charlie H  Offline
Glider Slave

Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,659
Wallis Texas
Don't count on a product being safe from aflatoxins just because it is a processed food or feed. Normal home boiling or frying will not eliminate aflatoxin. The contaminated product must be heated to 200 C which is 396 F for at least an hour. This has a tendency to char the grain and make it unusable. Chemical treatment is not a viable option either since anything that will destroy the aflatoxin will also destroy the grain. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> Looks like we can't win once the aflatoxin is established.

The only viable options we have is purchasing from reputable dealers. You can also check with the ultra violent light. Aflatoxin should show up as green or blue. But this is not fool proof! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Charlie H


Rescue & Rehabilation
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/glidertree/
[]glidertree@toast.net[/]
Re: Aflatoxins [Re: ] #81536
02/04/06 08:25 AM
02/04/06 08:25 AM

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Okay, I understand, so once aflotoxins are there in the product, it cannot be removed unless damage to the porduct, BUT what if the crickets or other insects have been infected by aflotoxins, can they be repaired by feeding non-contaminant gutload over a period of time?

Re: Aflatoxins [Re: ] #81537
02/04/06 08:54 AM
02/04/06 08:54 AM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,659
Wallis Texas
Charlie H Offline
Glider Slave
Charlie H  Offline
Glider Slave

Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,659
Wallis Texas
Ellen posted about her experience with crickets contaminated with aflatoxins and according to her research the aflatoxins attach themselves to the crickets DNA. This being the case I wouldn't think it would be possible to purge their systems. Ellen or her husband could give you a much better explaination I am sure. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />
Charlie H


Rescue & Rehabilation
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/glidertree/
[]glidertree@toast.net[/]
Re: Aflatoxins [Re: ] #81538
02/04/06 08:55 AM
02/04/06 08:55 AM

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Thanks Charlie, I'll check for that post... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumb.gif" alt="" />

Re: Aflatoxins [Re: ] #81539
02/04/06 03:54 PM
02/04/06 03:54 PM

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I had my mealies in oats with some veggies, i noticed a smell and some mold in the corner and took them out and washed the container, gave them fresh oats and veggies and then put them in the fridge. Can aflatoxins come from oatmeal too? should I toss these mealies because there was some mold in their container?

Kaire

Re: Aflatoxins [Re: ] #81540
02/05/06 09:36 AM
02/05/06 09:36 AM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,659
Wallis Texas
Charlie H Offline
Glider Slave
Charlie H  Offline
Glider Slave

Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,659
Wallis Texas
I would trash them. It is not a good idea to feed any food stuff that has been exposed to mold. Any type of grain product can form aflatoxins. If mold is present you also have bacterial infections to worry about.
Charlie H


Rescue & Rehabilation
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/glidertree/
[]glidertree@toast.net[/]

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