Presence of Aflatoxin M1 in Raw Milk for Human Consumption in Palestinian

The absences or insufficient food control program result in the occurrence of mycotoxin in milk and milk products, which poses a serious risk for humans and can be a public health concern. This study was conducted to highlight the occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in Palestine raw milk collected at farms from Tulkarm, Nablus and Jenin. Aflatoxin M1 was determined by direct competitive ELISA technique. 85 % (34 of 40) of the total examined raw milk samples tested were positive. The aflatoxin M1 contamination levels were between 3 - 80 ppt with a mean of 29.57 ppt. There was a high incidence rate with 92 % (11 of 12) and the highest means of contaminated with aflatoxin M1 in the samples tested in Tulkarm city (P ≤ 0.05). 20 % of the analyzed samples (8 of 40) exceeded the maximum permissible limit (50 ppt) in European Codex, with a range of 2 - 80 ppt.