Milk and dairy products mostly contain mycotoxins such as aflatoxin M1, aflatoxin M2, ochratoxin, cyclopiazonic acid, trichothecene, zearalenone, patulin. Mycotoxins in cheese are produced by certain types of fungi. These either directly contaminate the cheese or feed, or indirectly contaminate the milk used in cheese production. Aflatoxin, causes serious impacts on human and animal health, thus costs the world economy billions of dollars. The first legal regulation regarding aflatoxin M1 in Turkiye came into force in 1990. Subsequently, various legislations were published in 1997, 2002, 2008, 2011 and 2023. In this study, 60 publications were examined that investigate the presence of aflatoxin M1 in various cheeses in Turkiye in the last 50 years (1973-2023). In the studies, aflatoxin M1 was detected in almost all cheeses, and only a few were found in rates exceeding the Turkish Legal Limits. Researchers stated different limits for aflatoxin M1 in cheese. To minimize the presence of aflatoxin M1, the following recommendations should be considered. Developing new detection methods, enacting new legal regulations, increasing the frequency of legal inspections, improving the production, transportation and storage conditions of milk and dairy products, improving feed quality, increasing awareness of the health effects of aflatoxin M1.

The objectives of the study were to determine the aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) content in ınfant formula samples in Türkiye and to assess the risk of infants’ exposure to aflatoxins food contamination. A total number of 72 samples of infant formulas (premature, hipoallergenic, 0-6, 6-9,9-12 and 12-36 months) were analyzed for the presence of AFM1 using the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. 49% of the samples (35 samples) were contaminated with AFM1 and the group most highly contaminated with AFM1 was infant formulas 12-36 (8 samples) months. In addition, this study aimed at evaluating AFM1 levels especially above international (European Commission) (0.025 µg/kg) and local (Türkiye Food Codex Regulation) (0.025 µg/kg) standards and cancer risks associated with the ingestion of infant formula sampled from Türkiye. Five samples of infant formula had AFM1 concentration above maximum allowable concentration according to the standards. Risk assessments of AFM1 for infants ranged between 0.002- 0.035 ng/kg bw/day and >100.000–5263.15 respectively for Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), and Margin of Exposure (MOE). The riskiest group was determined in the 9-12 months samples. Results of our study indicate the high risk of infants’ exposure, who are at the early stage of development and vulnerable to toxic contaminants.

This study was carried out to examine the prevalence of AFM1 contamination across different areas of Chattogram, Bangladesh, and to assess the level of AFM1 in raw milk samples from various dairy farms. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the farming standards of three different Chattogram neighborhoods—Bakalia, Khulshi, and Pahartali—and to ascertain the amount of AFM1 in milk. In the study location, 30 commercial dairy farms were randomly chosen, and data on farming methods, milk production techniques, and knowledge of aflatoxin contamination were gathered. Using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method, collected milk samples (n = 90) were examined for the presence of AFM1. The farms produced 71.67±14.71 liters of milk on average every day, which was primarily supplied to dairy processing plants. For feeding the cows, all farms used concentrates and forage.  The mean concentration of AFM1 in milk samples collected from Bakalia was higher (190.00±120.87 ng/L) than that in milk samples collected from the Khulshi (108.44±66.19 ng/L) and Pahartali (189.25±160.78 ng/L). The overall prevalence of AFM1 was 43% (N=39) of the total examined samples. A total of 69% (N=27) and 5% (N=2) of AFM1 positive samples exceeded the European Union Regulation (50 ng/L) and BSTI/BFSA regulations (500 ng/L) respectively. There was a significant difference in the occurrence of AFM1 in Bakalia regarding Khulshi and Pahartali. This research will aid in measuring the AFM1 content in raw milk and helping to address public health issues.

This study aimed to investigate the presence of Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in raw buffalo milk and buffalo milk products such as cheese, yogurt, cream, and ice cream by ELISA technique. In the study, 175 samples were investigated, and it was determined that 146 (83.43%) of the samples had AFM1 concentrations below the LOD (limit of detection) value. In 29 samples (16.57%), the AFM1 concentration exceeded the LOD value, and in 7 (4%) of these, the AFM1 concentration was above the legal limits (50 ng/L). While AFM1 was not detected in raw buffalo milk samples, the presence of AFM1 in cheese, yogurt, cream, and ice cream samples was found to be 2.85%, 2.85%, 62.85%, and 14.3%, respectively. 2.85% of cheese samples and 17.1% of cream samples were found contaminated with AFM1 above the allowed legal limits (50 ng/L). As a result, it was determined that the potential for exposure to AFM1 by consuming buffalo cream was higher than the consumption of buffalo milk and other buffalo milk products. However, the detection of AFM1 above legal limits in buffalo milk products poses a serious risk to public health. Therefore, it is extremely necessary for public health to develop effective monitoring programs to control aflatoxin contamination in milk and new strategies to maintain inspections.

In this study, the presence and residue levels of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) were investigated in traditionally produced cube cheeses in Sivas and its region. For this purpose, 90 pieces of cube cheese were used as a material. Cheese samples were collected periodically in November and December 2016 from central sales location and surrounding villages. ELISA technique was applied in aflatoxin analyses. According to the analysis results, AFM1 was detected in total of the cube cheeses. The lowest level of AFM1 was found to be 2.16 ng/kg, the highest was 53.94 ng/kg and the mean was 6.36±0.87 ng/kg. AFM1 level vas determined one cheese sample above to the limit set by European Union.

Mycotoxin occurrence in foods, especially in uncontrolled produced traditional foods causes serious health problems. In this study, traditional Küp cheese samples were collected from different part of Anatolian region in Turkey (Ankara, Nevşehir and Yozgat) and analyzed to determine Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) level. AFM1 analysis was carried out by, immunoaffinity column (IAC) clean-up and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) attached with fluorescence detector (FL) The level of AFM1 in all samples was in the range of 16 and 136 ng/kg which is lower than the maximum tolerance limit of the Turkish Codex Regulations (250 ng/kg). The levels of contamination indicated that more detailed and continuous monitoring is required to increase the public health conscious and reduce consumers’ exposure to AFM1.