Green potato death
The main potato glycoalkaloids, α-solanine and α-chaconine, have been incriminated as causing "green potato death" in ruminants. Symptoms include trembling, staggering, convulsions, weakness, diarrhea, and sudden death. The potato by-product with the greatest risk of increased glycoalkaloids content is the potato peel due to greening, sun burning, or injury or wounding (Bradshaw et al., 2002, Nelson, 2010).
Cysticercosis
Since the end of the 1980s, feeding potato by products has been suspected to be involved in the cysticercosis problem, or beef measles. Cysticercosis is caused by encysted eggs of the human tapeworm Taenia saginata. Some potato processors and feedlots pasteurize potato by-products to secure hygiene and destroy Taenia saginata eggs, especially in the Pacific Northwest States of USA (Bradshaw et al., 2002, Nelson, 2010). Ensiling at 35°C or lagooning at 7°C for 30 days appears similarly effective to pasteurization (Nelson, 2010). The highest risks of cysticercosis seems to be with the potato slurry or with animals fed potato by-products during long periods (Bradshaw et al., 2002).