Evidence of low levels of aflatoxin M1 in milk and dairy products marketed in Qatar

This study was designed to explore the incidence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in milk and dairy products marketed in Qatar. Milk (n = 72), yogurt (n = 21), cheese (n = 46), butter (n = 18) and laban (n = 25) samples were initially screened by competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the presence of AFM1, followed by confirmation with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC). AFM1 was detected in 85%, 76%, 85%, 67% and 76% of the milk, yogurt, cheese, butter and laban samples, respectively. The levels of AFM1 in pasteurized vs ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk and full-vs low-fat yogurts showed a non-significant difference. Halloumi and Kashkaval cheese varieties showed a significantly higher AFM1 contents as compared to Mozzarella, Edam, Cheddar, cream and Moshalal cheese. Likewise, unsalted butter demonstrated significantly (p < 0.05) higher AFM1 values than salted butter samples. None of the tested samples presented AFM1 levels above the EU maximum limits of 50 ng/L or kg for milk, yogurt and butter, and 250 ng/kg for cheese. From the finding of present study, it can be concluded that, although high percentage of dairy products marketed in Qatar demonstrated AFM1 contents, but do not represent a public health concern considering the EU maximum limits.