The occurrence of aflatoxin M₁ in doogh, kefir, and kashk in Hamadan, Iran

Abstract

Aflatoxin M₁ (AFM₁) is one of the mycotoxins found in milk and dairy products and is classified as a Group I carcinogen. In this study, samples of doogh (60), kefir (30), and kashk (20) were collected from Hamedan, Iran, and examined for AFM₁ contamination using the ELISA method. Ninety-two (83.64%) out of 110 samples were positive for AFM₁, with the highest amount of contamination in kashk (90%) and the lowest amount of contamination in kefir (73.33%). The level of AFM₁ in four (3.64%) of the samples (3 samples of doogh and 1 sample of kashk) was higher than in the European Union (0.05 µg/kg). However, all samples had AFM₁ lower than Iran's allowable limit, i.e., 0.1 µg/kg. Due to the low mean level of contamination in samples compared with the allowable limit, there is no concern for human health. However, it is necessary to monitor these products to decrease AFM₁ incidence.

Keywords:
aflatoxin M₁; fermented dairy products; doogh; kefir; kashk