Farmers encouraged to have corn tested for aflatoxin

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler recently announced collection sites where farmers may leave corn samples for aflatoxin testing by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Aflatoxin is a byproduct of the mold Aspergillus flavus. It can be harmful to both humans and livestock. “We encourage farmers to have their corn tested to avoid unnecessary contamination of feeds and food,” Troxler said.

Testing is free to farmers and will be conducted at the Constable Laboratory, 4000 Reedy Creek Road in Raleigh. Farmers who are unable to deliver the required 5- to 10-pound sample of shelled corn to the lab may take samples to one of the following research stations:

Border Belt Tobacco Research Station, 86 Border Belt Drive, Whiteville, (910) 648-4703; Ty Marshall, superintendent.
Peanut Belt Tobacco Research Station, 112 Research Station Lane, Lewiston-Woodville, (252) 348-2213; Tommy Corbett, superintendent. Station contact: Margaret Pierce.
Tidewater Research Station, 207 Research Station Road, Plymouth, (252) 793-4118; Jewell Tetterton, interim superintendent.
Lower Coastal Plain Tobacco/Cunningham Research Station, 200 Cunningham Road, Kinston, (252) 527-3579; Phillip Winslow, superintendent.
Piedmont Research Station, 8350 Sherrills Ford Road, Salisbury, (704) 278-2624; Joe K. Hampton, superintendent.
Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station, 74 Research Drive, Fletcher, (828) 684-7197; Denny Thompson, superintendent.

Samples may be mailed directly to the lab at the following address:

NCDA&CS
Food and Drug Protection Division
1070 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1070

Forms and bags needed for submitting samples will be available at collection sites. For additional information about the aflatoxin testing program, contact Jennifer Godwin or Staci Parker at the NCDA&CS Food and Drug Protection Division, (919) 733-7366.