The occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in doogh, kefir, and kashk in Hamadan, Iran

Abstract Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is one of the mycotoxins found in milk and dairy products and is classified as a Group I carcinogen. In this study, samples of doogh (60), kefir (30), and kashk (20) were collected from Hamedan, Iran, and examined for AFM1 contamination using the ELISA method. Ninety-two (83.64%) out of 110 samples were positive for AFM1, with the highest amount of contamination in kashk (90%) and the lowest amount of contamination in kefir (73.33%). The level of AFM1 in four (3.64%) of the samples (3 samples of doogh and 1 sample of kashk) was higher than in the European Union (0.05 µg/kg). However, all samples had AFM1 lower than Iran's allowable limit, i.e., 0.1 µg/kg. Due to the low mean level of contamination in samples compared with the allowable limit, there is no concern for human health. However, it is necessary to monitor these products to decrease AFM1 incidence.