The Development Sector of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority held, in association with the Faculty of Food and Agriculture at the UAE University, a scientific lecture on gauging the physiological impact of fescue hay contaminated by fungi on animals.

The lecture was delivered by Dr. A. Morrie Craig, Professor of Toxicology and the Director of Laboratory Services at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Organ State University. The various aspects of the subject that were covered in the lecture included the types of fungal contaminants that affect feeds, the symptoms of diseases that generally contract ruminants as a result, their  incidence in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi as detected in field studies and the methods of treating and controlling these contaminants and preempting their contagion.

The lecture also touched upon the Japanese experience in this field as Japan had succeeded in eradicating the phenomenon of toxicity during a period of approximately eight years. Dr. Craig stressed the need for adopting scientific research to measure the extent of toxicity of fungus in imported feeds in addition to  determine the storage conditions conducive to the spread of the fungus.