A study on the occurrence of aflatoxin in raw milk due to feeds

Milk and milk products are the most important group of food which carries aflatoxin to the people. Therefore, the existence of aflatoxin M-1 (AFM(1)) in milk is a potential risk for public health. AFM(1) existence in milk and milk products was found in studies performed in Turkey. In this study, aflatoxin contamination was detected in 48 raw milk and 48 feed samples. Milk and feed samples, in which the positive sample rate was determined as 24%, included different levels of aflatoxin. Altogether, 20 raw milk samples (41.67%) and 15 feed samples (31.25%) contained over the level of legal limits established by the Turkish Food Codex (TFC) and the European Communities (EC) regulation in positive samples. According to these results, the milk and feed samples collected from this area constitute a potential risk for public health. The most effective way of controlling aflatoxin M, in milk is to reduce the contamination of aflatoxin in raw milk and feed samples. Both the producers and the consumers, as well as the government, have important obligations on this subject.