Quality Assessments of Aflatoxin M1 Residues in Milk and Some Milk Products in Dakahlia Governorate

This work was planned to qualitatively assess AFM1 residues in milk as well as milk product samples. Cow’s raw milk, Aged Roomy cheese, Domiati and Kariesh cheese (50 of each type) were collected from various supermarkets in Mansoura governorate in Egypt during 2020-2022. Samples were tested using the TLC method, positive samples from TLC method were exposed to the HPLC method for detection of their levels and their concentrations were compared with the permissible limits. The obtained results showed high incidence in raw cow milk (36%) followed by fresh Kariesh cheese (28%), then aged roomy cheese (24%), and then Damietta cheese (12%) collected from the local markets in Mansoura by TLC. The obtained concentrations in analyzed dairy samples were compared with the Permissible Limits (PL) set by the concerning agents [US, EU] by quantitative detection using HPLC. The detectable concentration of AFM1 in raw milk and cheese by HPLC showed high concentration of aflatoxin M1 in aged roomy cheese (121.08) followed by raw cow milk (80.83), followed by fresh Kariesh cheese (50.14), and then Damietta cheese (35.33) collected from the local markets in in Dakahlia governorate. The current study's findings showed that raw milk and cheese sold in Mansoura city are occasionally contaminated with AFM1. As a result, it is strongly advised to effectively heat treat raw milk and give animals nutrition free of aflatoxins.