Occurrence of aflatoxin M<sub>1</sub> in milk and Minas Frescal cheese manufactured in Brazilian dairy plants
Bruna L. Gonçalves, Rômulo D Ulliana, Gustavo Luís de Paiva Anciens Ramos, Adriano G. Cruz, Carlos Augusto Fernandes de Oliveira, Eliana Setsuko Kamimura, Carlos Humberto Corassin
Abstract
Aflatoxin M 1 (AFM 1 ) was determined in milk and Minas Frescal cheese (MFC) manufactured in dairy plants from São Paulo, Brazil. The average AFM 1 levels in raw, pasteurised milk and MFC were 0.028 ± 0.009 µg, 0.023 ± 0.006 µg/L and 0.113 ± 0.092 µg/kg, respectively. AFM 1 in raw ( n = 1; 4%) and pasteurised ( n = 2; 8%) milks exceeded the European maximum permitted level (MPL) of 0.05 µg/L. AFM 1 concentration rate for MFC was 4.9 ± 1.2. Although AFM 1 in all MFC samples was below the Brazilian’s MPL for cheese (2.5 µg/kg), the levels found may increase the overall exposure of consumers to dietary aflatoxins.