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Global occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in milk with particular reference to Iran

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Abstract

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is an hydroxylated derivative of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), which occurs in the milk of lactating animals. The aim of the present study was to determine the concentrations of AFM1 in raw milk samples collected from 18 dairy farms in Qazvin, Iran, over a period of 1 year and compare them with those found in other countries. Samples (30 per farm) were collected in the four seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter occurring between April 2009 and March 2010, giving a total of 2160 samples. They were centrifuged and 100 μl of the resulting skimmed milk were tested for AFM1 contamination by competitive enzyme immunoassay (EIA). All samples (100 %) were contaminated with AFM1 with concentrations ranging from 0.04 to 148.01 ng.l−1 and a mean of 38.82 ng.l−1. Summer samples with a mean of 64.69 ng.l−1 and autumn samples with a mean of 0.14 ng.l−1 had the highest and lowest concentrations, respectively, and differed significantly (P < 0.05). AFM1 content in 722 samples (33.4 %) was higher than the maximum tolerance limit of 50 ng.l−1 accepted by the European Union (EU). As contamination of milk with AFM1 is a potential risk for human health, raw milk should be monitored for its presence.

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Acknowledgment

This study was supported by the Research Council of University of Tehran, Iran.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mycology Research Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, P.O.Box: 14155-6453, Tehran, Iran

    Ali Reza Khosravi & Saeedeh Darvishi

  2. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Amol University of Special Modern Technologies, Amol, Iran

    Hojjatollah Shokri

  3. Department of Food Sciences, Iranian Veterinary Organization, Qazvin, Iran

    Shahin Eshghi

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  1. Ali Reza Khosravi
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  2. Hojjatollah Shokri
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  3. Shahin Eshghi
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  4. Saeedeh Darvishi
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Correspondence to Ali Reza Khosravi.

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Khosravi, A.R., Shokri, H., Eshghi, S. et al. Global occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in milk with particular reference to Iran. Food Sec. 5, 533–539 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-013-0281-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-013-0281-9

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