Determination of Aflatoxin M(1) in Milk by ELISA Technique in Mashad (Northeast of Iran)

The aim of this study was to detect the amount of aflatoxin M(1) (AFM(1)) in pasteurized milk samples in Mashad in northeast of Iran. For this purpose, 42 milk samples were collected from retail stores during fall 2011 and analyzed for AFM(1) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. All the analyses were done twice. Results showed presence of AFM(1) in 97.6% of the examined milk samples by average concentration of 23 ± 16 ppt and contamination level ranging between 6 and 71 ppt. The concentration of AFM(1) in all the samples was lower than the Iranian national standard and Food and Drug Administration limits (500 ppt), and, only in 3 (1.6%) samples, AFM(1) concentration was more than the maximum tolerance limit (50 ppt) accepted by European Union and Codex Alimentarius Commission. According to our findings and previous studies, AFM(1) contamination of milk is not a concern in this region, and the regional standard of AFM(1) contamination in milk might be changed to lower than 100 ppt.