Occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in commercial pasteurized milk samples in Sari, Mazandaran province, Iran

The frequency and levels of aflatoxin M-1 (AFM(1)) in pasteurized milk samples in Sari, located in Mazandaran province, Iran, were determined by enzyme immunoassay. Seventy-six samples of pasteurized milk from different retail stores were randomly collected over four seasons during the year 2015. AFM(1) contamination was detected in all milk samples. The mean concentration of aflatoxin M-1 was 65.8 ng/l, with a range of 11.7-106.6 ng/l. The highest AFM(1) level was detected in milk samples collected during spring. Forty-six (60.53 %) samples had AFM(1) levels that exceeded the maximum acceptable levels (50 ng/l) recommended by the European Union (EU). Comparison of these results with previously published data for AFM(1) in milk in Iran shows that the percentage of samples exceeding the EU maximum level is consistently high over the years, indicating a general problem related to AFB(1) contamination in dairy feedingstuff.