Aflatoxin M1 in UHT cow milk samples collected in Burdur, Turkey

Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites of toxigenic moulds of the Aspergillus species. Aflatoxin M1, a metabolite of the potent carcinogen aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) occurs in milks of animals consuming feed contaminated with AFB1. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and levels of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in UHT milk samples consumed in Burdur city markets. In 2018, a total of 78 UHT milk samples were randomly collected from different markets of Burdur. The occurrence and contamination levels of AFM1 in the samples were investigated by the competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Aflatoxin M1 was detected in 24 of 78 samples (30.77 %) in concentrations between 4.30-127.44 ng/L (mean level: 47.54 ng/L). AFM1 levels in 11 of these 24 positive samples were above legal limits of Turkey which is 50 ng/L for milk samples. It is concluded that the occurrence of AFM1 in milk samples in particular may be considered as a possible hazard for public health.