Aflatoxins in maize, milk and dairy products from Serbia

ABSTRACT

This study presents data on the occurrence of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 in maize and aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in milk and dairy products from Serbia in 2022. A total of 100 maize samples were analysed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, while 107 cow and goat milk, besides dairy products were tested with an ELISA method. Aflatoxins contaminated 78% of the maize samples, with aflatoxin B1 as the most prevalent aflatoxin, also at the highest determined level. All milk samples tested positive for AFM1, while contamination in dairy products ranged from 14% to 100%. The hot and dry weather during the 2022 maize growing season, characterised by moderate to extreme drought conditions, significantly increased maize contamination with aflatoxins, impacting subsequent milk and dairy products contamination. The findings of this study confirm the continuous trend and persistent challenge in Serbia concerning the prevalence of aflatoxins in maize and milk, closely linked to climate change.

KEYWORDS:

• Aflatoxins
• maize
• milk
• Republic of Serbia
• weather conditions

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by The Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia (451-03-66/2024-03/200222) and Provincial Secretariat for Higher Education and Scientific Research, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia (grant number 142-451-3493/2023-03) as a part of the project entitled “Examination of the impact of goat, mare and donkey milk on the recovery of patients with pneumonia”.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.