Producing for the Future: Mycotoxin risk management is key to poultry health and performance
Research shows poultry are more vulnerable to mycotoxins than previously thought, with consequences for gut health, efficiency and sustainability
16 September 2025
2 minute read
By: Part of Series:
Marie Gallissot, Global Manager Feed Quality Solutions at EW Nutrition, spoke to The Poultry’s Site’s Sarah Mikesell at an exclusive two-day EW Nutrition hosted event in Berlin, Germany for poultry industry experts titled Producing for the Future.
Gallissot emphasized the overlooked but ever-present threat of mycotoxins in poultry diets and the link between mycotoxins' effect on gut health and immune function which can lead to higher disease susceptibility and increased use of antibiotics.
“It is true, mycotoxins do affect the immune system,” Gallissot said. “It’s been shown recently that it also directly contributes to antimicrobial resistance by favoring those resistant bacteria.”
This finding reframes mycotoxin risk management not just as a performance tool, but as a critical step in the global One Health movement to curb antibiotic use and reduce antimicrobial resistance.
Historically, poultry were thought to be less susceptible to the harmful effects of mycotoxins due to their specific metabolism. However, new evidence is shifting that perception.
Research is highlighting how mycotoxins do affect poultry – they affect their well-being; they affect their gut health; and they ultimately damage or impair productivity.
“Poultry has been somewhat neglected in mycotoxin risk management, but mycotoxins are a bit of a silent killer there,” Gallissot said.
Today, EW Nutrition takes a comprehensive approach to mitigating these threats.
“Managing mycotoxins properly is part of the fight against antimicrobial resistance. EW Nutrition is active both on gut health of the poultry as well as mycotoxin risk management,” she explained. “We have integrated programs to identify the risk of mycotoxins, to understand mycotoxin risk and then to manage mycotoxin risk.”
This holistic approach is necessary to properly prevent any immune issues, and mycotoxin management is part of the One Health topic regarding reducing antimicrobial resistance, said Gallissot.
Scientific studies now point to a stronger-than-expected impact on gut health, immune function and feed conversion, even when contamination levels are within current safety guidelines.
Looking at some European examples, the EFSA committee has shown that the current guidelines for some poultry species were higher than a level that already typically affects poultry gut health. Shel also noted other research shows how field trials in controlled conditions –repeated trials successive in the same configuration with variable mycotoxin contamination always below the EU guidelines – would trigger impaired feed efficiency.
“There is a very strong correlation between the mycotoxin level and the feed efficiency of the broilers, always below the EU guidelines,” Gallissot noted. “In a scenario that you think you're safe or covered, you’re still losing productivity if you're not doing any toxin risk management.”
Looking forward, Gallissot sees poultry genetics playing a supportive role in building resilience.
“Genetics will be a contributor of improving the tolerance of poultry to feed safety challenges. Selecting birds for higher resilience and higher resistance to any stress will improve their tolerance for mycotoxin risk,” she said.
However, she emphasized that no single solution will suffice: “We will continue all the efforts on the feed safety side to provide more secure feed to have a more sustainable chain.”
For an industry increasingly focused on efficiency, sustainability and antibiotic reduction, ignoring the mycotoxin threat in poultry is no longer an option.
Sarah Mikesell
Sarah Mikesell grew up on a five-generation family farming operation in Ohio, USA, where her family still farms. She feels extraordinarily lucky to get to do what she loves - write about livestock and crop agriculture. You can find her on LinkedIn.
