Aflatoxin M 1 in raw cow and buffalo milk in Shush city of Iran

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) contamination is evaluated in 120 samples of raw milk from cow and buffalo (60 each), collected randomly in the Shush (southwest Iran). Enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to analyse AFM1 in the samples. AFM1 was detected in 44 (69%) raw cow milk samples with a mean of 55 ng/l at a range of 3.6-419 ng/l) and in 46 (79%) raw buffalo milk samples with a mean of 116 ng/l at a range of 13-423 ng/l. In all samples, the AFM1 concentration was lower than the Iranian national standard and FDA limit of 500 ng/l. According to the European Union and Codex Alimentarius Commission, 18 (28%) and 32 (52%) of cow and buffalo raw milk samples are above the 50 ng/l limit, respectively. Results showed that AFM1 contamination of raw milk could pose a problem for public health, since all age groups, including infants and children, consume this product.