Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a category of poisonous compounds found in milk and dairy products. The target of our research is to determine incidence and risk assessment AFM1 through the consumption of cheese in Hamadan province of Iran. Seventy cheese samples including cream cheese (n = 30) and Iranian white cheese (n = 40) were collected from different regions of Hamadan province, Iran and tested for AFM1 by ELISA technique. The estimated daily intake (EDI) and hazard index (HI) of AFM1 was determined. AFM1 was detected in 67 (95.7%) samples, including 39 (97.5%) Iranian white cheese (mean: 115.16 ng/kg; range: < 5-287 ng/kg) and 28 (93.3%) cream cheese samples (mean: 141.20 ng/kg; range: < 5-289 ng/kg). The level of AFM1 in 10% samples was above the maximum tolerance limit (250 ng/kg). EDI of AFM1 through cheese for a preschool child, an adult female, and an adult male was 0.138, 0.076, 0.065 ng/kg bw/day, respectively. In our study, HI for these groups was 0.690, 0.378 and 0.324, respectively. Although the incidence of AFM1 in cheese samples was high, the results, regarding risk assessment which indicated potential risks for the liver cancer among Iranian consumers due to the cheese consumption, are not concerned.
Keywords: Aflatoxin M1; Cheese; ELISA; Iran; Risk assessment.