Aflatoxin M1 contamination of raw cow’s milk in five regions of Kosovo during 2016

Abstract

During February and August 2016 (winter and summer season), 192 samples of raw bulk tank milk have been collected from small dairy farms in five different regions of Kosova (Prishtina, Prizren, Peja, Mitrovica, and Gjilan). These samples were analyzed for aflatoxin M (AFM) contamination level by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS). The limit of quantification for AFM1 was 0.02 μg/L and recovery at 0.1-0.5 μg/L was 90-95% (coefficient of variation 15-25%). A total of 74 milk samples (38%) were found to be contaminated with AFM and 11 samples (5.7%) slightly exceeded the European Union maximum level of 0.05 μg/L. The maximum AFM level was at 0.082 μg/L. There was no relevant difference between summer and winter with regard to AFM frequency and levels. Although the frequency of AFM-positive samples varied between regions, from 7% (Prishtina) to 53% (Prizren), only minor regional differences were observed with regard to average and maximum toxin levels. The high percentage of milk samples which were non-compliant with AFM maximum levels indicates that efforts to reduce the contamination levels of aflatoxin B in cows feed in Kosovo are necessary.

Consumer Perception of Food Quality and Safety in Western Balkan Countries: Evidence from Albania and Kosovo

“…Based on the literature review [15][16][17][18]32], which indicated a lower level of food safety in Albania and Kosovo [22,23] (and other WBCs [20,25]), we expected that respondents from both countries would evaluate imported better than nationally produced food products (H1). However, we did not observe this in our study, so H1 could not be confirmed and had to be rejected.…”

“…Brucellosis has been a major health concern in Albania and Kosovo [17,19], and aflatoxin in maize for feed was reported in other WBCs [20,21]. Reportedly, aflatoxin also represents a serious problem for small dairy farmers in Albania and Kosovo [22,23], and there are similar concerns in Serbia [18]. In general, mycotoxins and aflatoxins are reported to be of high significance concerning food safety in these transition economies [24].…”

Detection Methods for Aflatoxin M1 in Dairy Products

“…The introduction of mass spectrometry (MS) and its subsequent coupling of LC have resulted in the development of many LC-MS or LC-MS/MS methods for AFM1 analysis in dairy products [22,[48][49][50]. The MS technique is used for confirmation purposes because it has the advantage of producing spectra with characteristic fragmentation patterns [3].…”

Investigation of aflatoxin M1 in baby milk and aflatoxin B1 in infant cereals marketed in Kosovo

“…Regarding AFM1 contamination in infant formula milk, the incidence The obtained results, compared with data on raw milk from Kosovo (Camaj et al, 2018), Turkey (Gürbay et al, 2006), Italy (Galvano et al, 1996;Giovati et al, 2015;Serraino et al, 2019), Serbia (Tomasevic et al, 2015 show a lower incidence (Table 3).…”

“…Mycotoxins contamination of cereal products is an acute problem in the region's countries (Topi et al., 2021). Recently, surveillance programs that evaluate the population exposure to different chemical hazards, including mycotoxins, have been conducted in Kosovo, such as AFB1 and ochratoxin A, in staple foods and unprocessed raw groups (Camaj et al., 2018; Spahiu et al., 2018). AFM1 metabolite is usually detected in milk within 12–24 hr after the AFB1‐contaminated feed administration to the animal (Battacone et al., 2003).…”