| Autor: |
Silva IMM; Department of Consumer Science, Post-graduate program in Food Science and Technology, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), Pernambuco 52171-900, PE, Brazil., da Cruz AG; Department of Foods, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio de Janeiro (IFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 20270-021, RJ, Brazil., Ali S; Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering (FZEA), University of São Paulo (USP), Pirassununga 13635-900, SP, Brazil., Freire LGD; Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering (FZEA), University of São Paulo (USP), Pirassununga 13635-900, SP, Brazil., Fonseca LM; Department of Animal Husbandry, Luiz de Quiroz Higher School of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil., Rosim RE; Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering (FZEA), University of São Paulo (USP), Pirassununga 13635-900, SP, Brazil., Corassin CH; Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering (FZEA), University of São Paulo (USP), Pirassununga 13635-900, SP, Brazil., Oliveira RBA; Department of Consumer Science, Post-graduate program in Food Science and Technology, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), Pernambuco 52171-900, PE, Brazil., Oliveira CAF; Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering (FZEA), University of São Paulo (USP), Pirassununga 13635-900, SP, Brazil. |
| Abstrakt: |
Cheese is one of the most susceptible dairy foods to accumulating aflatoxins due to their high affinity to caseins. The consumption of cheese contaminated with high levels of aflatoxin M 1 (AFM 1 ) can be highly harmful to humans. The present work, based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), highlights the frequency and levels of AFM 1 in coalho and mozzarella cheese samples ( n = 28) from the main cheese-processing plants in Araripe Sertão and Agreste in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Of the evaluated cheeses, 14 samples were artisanal cheeses and the remaining 14 were industrial (manufactured) cheeses. All samples (100%) had detectable levels of AFM 1 , with concentrations ranging from 0.026 to 0.132 µg/kg. Higher levels ( p < 0.05) of AFM 1 were observed in artisanal mozzarella cheeses, but none of the cheese samples exceed the maximum permissible limits (MPLs) of 2.5 µg/kg established for AFM 1 in cheese in Brazil and 0.25 µg/kg in the European countries by the European Union (EU). The high incidence of low levels of AFM 1 found in the evaluated cheeses underscores the need for stringent control measures to prevent this mycotoxin in milk used for cheese production in the study area, with the aim of protecting public health and reducing significant economic losses for producers. |
