Occurrence and estimative of aflatoxin M1 intake in UHT cow milk in Paraná State, Brazil

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a product of aflatoxin B1 biotransformation when ingested by lactating animals and humans. Its introduction in the diet occurs mainly through the cow milk intake. This study aimed to assess the seasonal occurrence of AFM1 in ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk commercially available in Maringá, Paraná State, Brazil and to estimate the exposure of the population to mycotoxin. A total of 152 samples of UHT whole cow milk were collected. AFM1 was determined by high performance liquid chromatography using a previous validated method with immunoaffinity column clean-up. The 87.5% of the samples were contaminated with an average of 19.6 ng/L of AFM1 and 2.6% exhibited AFM1 levels above the limit established by the European Community (50 ng/L). The highest value for probable daily intake (0.07 ng/kg b.w/day) was observed in the autumn. Toxin concentrations were different between samples collected in different seasons, thus indicating an influence of climatic conditions.