Occurrence of aflatoxin mi in raw milk during the summer and winter seasons in Hamedan, Iran

A survey on the occurrence of aflatoxin M-1 (AFM(1)) was carried out in summer and winter in raw milk samples from 93 traditional and industrial dairy farms of the Hamedan district in order to address representative data on AFM(1) in milk collected from these regions. Of the 186 milk samples, AFM(1) was detected in 119 samples (63.97%). The mean concentration of AFM(1) in contaminated samples was 43.4 ng/L, and the minimum and maximum levels were <= 10 and 410 ng/L, respectively. Fourteen (11. 76%) contaminated samples had AFM(1) in concentrations in excess of the maximum levels specified in European Union regulations, i.e., 50 ng/L. The contamination ratio of milk in summer and winter months was 56.5 and 71.7%, respectively (P < 0.02). This is the first report on AFM(1) determinations in raw milk from western Iran, one of the main milk-production areas, as well as comparison between milk obtained from different dairy farms in Iran.