Abstract
Milk contamination with aflatoxin (AFM1) is an issue of great concern in developing countries like Pakistan which demands a great attention. Milk constitutes an important part of human diet, particularly for the youngs. So, it is our utmost need to assess the presence of AFM1 in milk. In the present study assessment of AFM1 in milk collected from different dairy farms of Faisalabad was carried out using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) equipped with Fluorescence detector. The results were compared with pre-established maximum residual limit (MRL) in order to evaluate the safety of milk for human consumption. The study revealed that all the 50 tested samples were found positive for AFM1 contamination at various levels. Among buffalo dairy farms concentration of AFM1 ranged between 0.0513 mu g L-1 and 0.1006 mu g L-1. From the cow dairy farms, the AFM1 contamination level was found lowest with a mean of 0.0397 mu g L-1 and the highest AFM1 contamination level was with a mean of 0.1143 mu g L-1. Overall percentage of AFM1 contamination and concentration levels were found higher in the milk collected from buffalo dairy farms as compared to cow dairy farms. 21 out of 25 (84%) buffalo and 18 out of 25 (72%) cow milk samples were exceeded the European Commission MRL of 0.050 mu g L-1. The results of the present study will be helpful for regulations implementation in order to minimize or avoid the AFM1 contamination in milk from the farms in the study area.