Probabilistic Health Risk Assessment of Aflatoxin M1 in Pasteurized Milk from Different Cities of Iran

Background: The presence of Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in dairy products results from the ingestion of feedstuffs contaminated with aflatoxin B1 by ruminants. The current study aimed to determine the AFM1 concentration in commercial pasteurized cow milk samples obtained from the Iranian market. Methods: A total of 54 pasteurized cow milk samples, manufactured between January and April 2019, were purchased from different cities in Iran, including Tehran, Isfahan, Sari, Tabriz, Zanjan, Kermanshah, Ahvaz, Shiraz, and Kerman. These samples were analyzed using a competitive enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay technique. The associated health risk was estimated by the Monte Carlo simulation method. Additionally, the margin of exposure and cancer risk were employed as benchmarks to assess threats to consumer health. Results: AFM1 was detected in 33 samples (61 %), totally with concentrations ranging from 0.003 to 0.45 µg kg-1. 9.26 % of the samples exceeded the maximum residue level specified by Iran’s national standard (0.1 µg kg-1). The average concentration of AFM1 in the 54 pasteurized milk samples collected from different regions was determined to be 0.042 ± 0.072 µg L-1. Nevertheless, all samples remained below the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) maximum limit (0.5 µg kg-1). Human health risk assessment showed that about half of the consumers were at risk based on the Margin of Exposure (MOE) assessment. Conclusion: The results of this survey indicate the usefulness of a monitoring program to supervise the safety of commercially available pasteurized cow milk for consumers.