Aflatoxin B1 Rapid Test Card (Colloidal Gold Method/0.5ppb)

Target and Hazard: Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a secondary metabolite produced by fungi such as Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus and is frequently detected in feed ingredients such as maize, peanut, soybean meal and cottonseed meal, as well as in compound feed. AFB1 is strongly hepatotoxic, carcinogenic and teratogenic and can cause immunosuppression; livestock and poultry show reduced intake, stunted growth, liver damage and lower egg and milk production, and the toxin can accumulate in meat, eggs and milk and enter the food chain, harming animal health and food safety.

Significance of Testing: The card is used for rapid on-site screening of AFB1 in feed ingredients (maize, peanut meal, soybean meal, etc.) and compound feed, with a reading threshold of 0.5 μg/kg (0.5 ppb). It allows immediate screening at ingredient intake, on-line feeding and storage stages, with suspect results confirmed in the laboratory, forming the first barrier for feed safety and preventing over-limit raw materials from entering production and causing cumulative poisoning in animals.

Principle: Colloidal gold lateral flow competitive assay: AFB1 in the sample competes with AFB1 antigen coated on the test line (T) for a limited amount of antibody; the higher the toxin level, the less gold-labelled antibody binds to the T line, so the fainter the T line. A threshold of 0.5 μg/kg (0.5 ppb) is used for positive/negative interpretation, and the control line (C) confirms reagent and procedure validity.

Performance and Applications: No equipment required; sample applied after simple extraction; visual reading in 5–8 minutes at a threshold of 0.5 μg/kg (0.5 ppb); store at 2–30 °C in a cool, dry place, shelf life 18 months. For raw-material intake screening and on-site quality control by feed mills, livestock farms and grain storage and processing enterprises. Method: colloidal gold lateral flow competitive assay | Samples: extracts of feed ingredients and compound feed (maize, peanut meal, soybean meal, etc.) | Time to result: 5–8 min | Reading: visual assessment of T/C lines with a reading threshold of 0.5 μg/kg (0.5 ppb) for positive/negative interpretation, C line is the procedural control | Format: tests/box (as stated on the label) | Storage: 2–30 °C, cool and dry; shelf life 18 months | Note: sensitivity, specificity, limit of detection, intra-/inter-assay CV and agreement with reference methods are subject to our internal QC report.