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Aflatoxins are one of the major environmental contaminants in animal feed and pose a potential threat to human health due to their secretion in the milk of lactating animals. The present study was conducted with the objectives to determine the occurrence of aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) in dairy animal concentrate feed and to evaluate the effect of season, spatial variation, and dairy farm size on the levels of aflatoxins contamination. A total of 189 dairy animal concentrate feed samples were tested for aflatoxins with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as screening and high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) as confirmatory techniques. Of the total, 59% feed samples were found positive for aflatoxins, while 44% samples were detected with total aflatoxins levels higher than the tolerance limit established by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and 58% samples were found with aflatoxins B1 (AFB1) levels above the European Commission (EC) legal limit. AFB1 levels in dairy animal concentrate feed were found significantly higher during rainy (41.6 μg kg−1) and winter (35.9 μg kg−1) seasons as compared to the summer season (25.5 μg kg−1). The theoretical extrapolation of the AFB1 carry-over from animal feed to milk (aflatoxins M1) in different seasons may lead to 50–100% contamination of milk at levels above the EC tolerance limit. The incidence and levels of aflatoxins especially AFB1 in animal feed, not only pose a direct effect on animals but may also pose a concern for food safety in relation to the occurrence of aflatoxins M1 in milk. Therefore, continuous surveillance of aflatoxins in dairy animal feeds is required to reduce animal and consequently human exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a toxic and carcinogenic metabolite secreted in milk of dairy animals which have consumed the aflatoxin B1 contaminated feedstuff. In this study, 230 different types of milk samples comprising raw, pasteurized and ultra-high temperature treated milk were collected from three different geographical sites of Punjab during different seasons and analysed for the presence of AFM1 by using ELISA as screening, and HPLC with fluorescence detection as confirmatory method. Of total, 51% samples were detected positive for AFM1, while 45% and 38% samples were found with AFM1 levels higher than the tolerance limits established by the European commission and Food safety and standard authority of India respectively. Results of study indicated a high incidence and levels of AFM1 in different types of milk during all seasons. Owing to this, there is a potential risk of liver cancer in people of Punjab, India especially children due to milk consumption. Therefore, strict regulatory actions are urgently required to control AFM1 level in milk below the legal standard limits. There is need to initiate routine examination of dairy animal feeds for aflatoxins to reduce animal and consequently human exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]