Preliminary study about contamination of aflatoxins in buffalo milk [Apulia-Campania-Latium]

A preliminary survey has been carried out in Southern Italy about contamination of aflatoxin M1 on 28 buffalo milk samples, of which 10 from Apulia, 9 from Campania and 9 from Lazio. Eighteen samples of unifeed, 12 of feedstuff and 8 compounds of buffalo diet (soybean, bran, starches, hay, floury wheat and triticale) have been analyzed for aflatoxins B1. For analysis of buffalo milk and feed samples ELISA tests have been used. Low concentrations of aflatoxins B1 (between 0.12 to 1.1 ppb) in all unifeed and 7 feedstuff samples have been found, whereas higher concentration (more than 2 ppb) in 4 feedstuff samples were observed, although below the limit of Italian legislation. About 50% of diet compounds have showed low amounts of aflatoxin B1 compared to all analyzed feed samples. Only 5 of 28 buffalo milk samples have shown low levels of aflatoxin M1 (less than 20 ppt), and this milk contamination was related to an amount of aflatoxin B1 more than 2 ppb in feedstuff samples