The aflatoxin M1 crisis in the Serbian dairy sector: the year after

Abstract

During the last 3 years, high aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) concentrations in milk and dairy products occurred in Serbia. It resulted in periodical change of the official regulations regarding maximum levels (MLs) of AFM1 as set by the Serbian Government. The aim of this study was to compare the occurrence of AFM1 in raw milk and dairy products during 2015 and also to determine whether there were some differences in AFM1 level among seasons. The AFM1 level exceeded the European Union ML in 29.3% of raw milk and 4.2% of milk product samples. The highest level of AFM1 in raw milk was found during the autumn season, while during the rest of the 2015, it was significantly lower. Although the improvement of dairy products safety was evident in 2015 when compared to 2013 and 2014, the cause of high concentrations in raw milk remained unresolved yet. This study indicates that dairy plants introduced control measures and refused reception of too high contaminated raw milk.