Exposure assessment and cancer risk characterization of aflatoxin M(1) (AFM(1)) through ingestion of raw cow milk in southern Ghana

Milk and dairy products are the most important nutritional foods among all age groups. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM(1)) contaminates milk and makes its consumption potentially dangerous. Infants are mostly at risk because they are typically fed as many as six and more times per day, which is indeed a disquieting concern. This study aimed at evaluating AFM(1) levels especially above international (European Food Safety Authority, EFSA) (0.05 µg/kg) and local (Ghana Standards Authority, GSA) (0.5 µg/kg) standards and cancer risks associated with the ingestion of raw cow milk (n = 120) sampled from Southern Ghana (Greater Accra, Volta, Western and Eastern Regions). AFM(1) were measured with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with a Fluorescence Detector (HPLC-FLD). Risk assessments were also conducted using models prescribed by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Additives (JECFA). Out of the 120 samples analyzed for AFM(1), 67 (55.8%) tested positive, 63 (52.5%) exceeded the limits of EFSA and were between the range 0.06 ± 0.001–3.52 ± 0.5 µg/kg whereas 50(41.7%) within the range of 0.50 ± 0.03–3.52.01 ± 0.5 µg/kg exceeded GSA limits. Risk assessments of AFM(1) for infants, toddlers, children, adolescents, and adults ranged between 0.06 and 2.03 ng/kg bw/day, 197.04–6666.67, 0–0.0323 ng aflatoxins/kg bw/day and 1.94 × 10(-3)- 0.07 cases/100,000 person/yr respectively for Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Margin of Exposure (MOE), Average Potency, and Cancer Risks. It was concluded that the consumption of raw milk posed adverse health effects on all age categories studied for the regions investigated. The use of raw cow milk may cause some problems and endanger the health of people of different age groups due to noncompliance with prescribed regulatory limits.