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.

Thirteen different mostly consumed cheese samples were obtained from different provinces in Turkey and were investigated in terms of contents of ergosterol, patulin and Ochratoxin A (OTA). Ergosterol, patulin and OTA analyses were carried out by using the apparatus of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Ergosterol contents of samples ranged from 30.27±0.69 to 144.76±9.41 mg/kg. The values of OTA in the samples were ranged from 6.96±0.05 to 41±0.2 µg/kg. Ergosterol was significantly correlated with OTA (r = 0.99, R2 = 0.98). According to this high correlation, ergosterol might be used as a more readily measurable indicator of potential OTA production. No patulin was detected in all samples. Absence of patulin on cheese samples may be explained with unsuitable media for patulin producing.