OCCURRENCE OF AFLATOXIN M(1) IN MILK 15 Y EARS OF SANITARY CONTROL

M1 aflatoxin is a potent hepatocarcinogen which may be present in milk , due lo the intake of B1 aflatoxin contaminated feedstuffs by dairy c attle. In France, monitoring programmes have been set up in 1976 for t he detection of M1 aflatoxin in milk and dairy products. More appropri ate and more sensitive methods (using immunological techniques, for ex ample) are now available for the determination of M1 aflatoxin in dair y products. For 1978, 6 246 milk samples have been examined and divide d into three classes : below 0,05 - 0,05 to 0,5 - more than 0,5 mug M1 aflatoxin/l milk. According to this classification, two major periods of contamination occurred in France, from 1978 to 1984 and in the win ter seasons of 1988 to 1991. Some highly contaminated samples, occasio nally containing up to 5 mug M1 aflatoxin/l milk, were found during th e winter seasons of 1978-1983. Between 1984 and 1988, and from 1991, t he number of contaminated samples was quite low. Presently in France, the dairy production is almost totally below the limits proposed by th e European Community.