Aggiornamento sull’andamento del piano di controllo di Aflatossina M1 nel latte in Lombardia

Abstract

The contamination of milk by aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) depends on the presence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in cereals intended for the animal feed, especially corn. The surveillance of AFM1 levels in bulk milk is an indirect but rapid and efficient indicator of the possible contamination of feed. The 2016 was a critical year for that concern the contamination of cereals by AFB1 leading to the implementation of a special control plan and an increase of own checks plans. In this contest, a summary overview of the situation of the years following 2016, in particular the period from 2017 to first six months of 2019, seems to be required. Approximately 20000 milk samples (official samples taken in the scope of the special control plan and samples conferred to our laboratories by farmers and milk enterprises in self-control plans applications) were analyzed by an ELISA quantitative method.  Comparing the data obtained in different years, the trend obtained shows that, after the critical years 2012 and 2015, the period evaluated (2017-2019) the levels of AFM1 in milk remained almost unchanged and well below the legal limit of 0,050 µg/Kg. Furthermore, the samples analyzed were split into two categories according to type (official samples and samples collected from the own checks plans) and for each group the corresponding non-compliance was assessed. The results obtained confirmed the importance to carry out monitoring and control systems, continuous and repeated during the time, with the aim to assess the contamination of milk by aflatoxins. Only in this way is it possible to detect a general or limited to some areas increase of the cereal contamination. Working on this base, it is possible to coordinate official control programs, as preventive as emergency action plans, in relation to the risk assessed.