Aflatoxin M1 in milk and dairy products, occurrence and recent challenges: A review

Abstract

Background Milk is a highly nutritious food, and it is a source of necessary macro-and micronutrients for the growth, development and maintenance of human health. However, it may also be a source of natural food contaminants that may cause disease. The presence of aflatoxin M 1 (AFM 1) in milk and dairy products throughout the world has been known since twenty to thirty ago. Milk and dairy products contamination with aflatoxin M 1 is important problem worldwide especially for developing countries for the last ten to twenty years. Scope and Approach The presence of this mycotoxin in these products is important issue, especially for children and infants, who are more susceptible than adults. This review provides information regarding the occurrence of AFM 1 in milk and dairy products in many regions of the world, its stability during processing and some reduction strategies. In this review the toxicity, occurrence of AFM 1 in milk and dairy products (preferably for the last 5 years), regulations, strategies for its reduction, latest developments in detection methodologies and future challenges are described. Key Findings and Conclusions Strict regulations and adapting good storage practices in developed countries have minimized the contamination of AFM 1 in milk and dairy products. The current advancements in analytical techniques have helped the law enforcement agencies to implement strict regulations. Furthermore, the improvement in analytical facility and increasing the awareness related to the health effects of AFM 1 in milk and dairy products could minimize its occurrence level in developing countries.

Incidence of aflatoxin M1 in fresh milk from small farms

“…40.4% of the analyzed samples (eg, 21 samples) were above the limit allowed by the Brazilian regulation, which is 0.5 μg L -1 (Brasil, 2011), and 59.6% (31 samples) showed levels higher than allowed by the European Union, which is 0.05 μg L -1 (Iqbal et al, 2015). It is important to notice that the recovery test performed with the fortified sample indicates that the values found may be even higher than those presented in Table 1.…”

“…The European Union and the United States of America, for example, set limits of 0.05 and 0.5 μg kg -1 , respectively; Nigeria, 1.0 μg kg -1 (Iqbal et al, 2015); and Brazil has a maximum limit of 0.5 μg kg -1 for fluid milk (Brasil, 2011).…”

Occurrence of aflatoxin in agricultural produce from local markets in Burundi and Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

“…The occurrence of aflatoxin‐M 1 in milk and its products collected in Burundi and Eastern DRC is presented in Tables 5 and 6. According to the EU regulations, the maximum residue level of aflatoxin‐M 1 in raw milk and dairy products is 50 ng/L, while this level based on USA regulations was adjusted to 500 ng/kg (Campagnollo et al., 2016; Iqbal et al., 2015; Mulunda & Mike, 2014). Aflatoxin‐M 1 was detected in all samples collected for this study, with concentrations ranging between 4.8 and 261.1 ng/kg.…”

“…In animals, aflatoxins may lower resistance to diseases, interrupt vaccine‐induced immunity, and adversely affect growth and reproduction, causing serious economic losses (CAST 2003; Fink‐Gremmels, 1999). When animal feeds are infected with aflatoxin‐producing fungi, aflatoxins are introduced into animal source food chains and can be converted to M‐type aflatoxins (De Ruyck, De Boevre, Huybrechts, & De Saeger, 2015; Iqbal, Jinap, Pirouz, & Ahmad Faizal, 2015). Infection and production of aflatoxins by ubiquitous, air‐borne, and soil‐inhabiting species of fungi begin at preharvest stages and may continue to increase until the grain is consumed (Waliyar, Ntare, Diallo, Kodio, & Diarra, 2007; Waliyar et al., 2015).…”

Biological approach to aflatoxin control in stored poultry feed

“…Contaminated feed can be harmful to poultry as well as to the consumers because of the toxins contained in poultry products (Iqbal et al 2015b). Ziziphus jujuba Mill.…”