Occurrence of aflatoxins in feedstuff, sheep milk and dairy products in Western Sicily

• Main Authors: Carlo Finoli, Angela Vecchio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2010-01-01
• Series: Italian Journal of Animal Science
• Subjects: Aflatoxin M1, Sheep milk, Sheep cheese, Aflatoxin B1, Feedstuff
• Online Access: http://www.aspajournal.it/index.php/ijas/article/view/172
• ISSN: 1594-4077; 1828-051X

Samples of feedstuffs (15), milk (40), and cheese (30) coming from sheep and dairy farms (23) or market in Western<br />Sicily were analyzed for their respective content of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and M1 (AFM1) to evidence any possible indirect<br />mycotoxin contamination risk to the consumer. Analyses using HPLC and fluorescence detection were performed after<br />immunoaffinity column sample extraction and cleanup; AFM1 was detected in 30% of the milk samples at levels ranging<br />from 4 to 23 ng/l and in 13% of the cheeses from 21 to 101 ng/kg; in the feed the AFB1 ranged from <10 to 769 ng/kg.<br />None of the contaminated samples exceeded the legal limits set down by the European Union for milk (50 ng/l) and feed<br />(5 &mu;g/kg ), or that in force in the Netherlands for cheese (200 ng/kg).