Abstract #T160

Section: Food Safety
Session: Food Safety
Format: Poster
Day/Time: Tuesday 7:30 AM–9:30 AM
Location: Gatlin Ballroom
# T160
Occurrence of aflatoxin M1 and somatic cell count in milk from farms in São Paulo, Brazil.
AF Rosa1, MS Miranda1, JRP Arcaro1, R. Braghini2, E. Pinatti3, CR Pozzi*1, 1Instituto de Zootecnia, Nova Odessa, São Paulo, Brazil, 2Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, 3Instituto de Economia Agrícola, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

Milk needs to be of good quality and a low somatic cell count (SCC) and absence of contaminants such as aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) are important factors in the assessment of the health status of herds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of aflatoxin M1 and SCC in milk and to determine the correlation between aflatoxin M1 and SCC. Fifteen lactating cows were monitored at intervals of 15 d over a period of 45 d (n = 4) on 9 dairy farms in the state of São Paulo (n = 540). Milk samples were collected from the glass collecting jars (n = 15) and refrigeration tanks (n = 38). Aflatoxin M1 was determined on immunoaffinity columns using separation and quantification by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Somatic cell counting was performed by flow cytometry in a Somacount 300. Data were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s test (P ≤ 0.05). Pearson correlation test was used between AFM1 and CCS. Aflatoxin M1 was detected in 12% (n = 64) of the milk samples collected from the glass bottles. Mean contamination of the samples ranged from 0.03 ± 0.09 to 0.746 ± 1.85 µg/kg, with a maximum level of 9.83 µg/kg. Of the 38 milk samples obtained from the refrigeration tanks, 16% (n = 6) were contaminated with aflatoxin M1, with levels ranging from 0.44 to 2.65 µg/kg; 83% (n = 4.98) of these samples contained levels that exceeded the limit permitted by the Brazilian legislation (0.5 µg/kg). Mean SCC in the glass collecting bottles ranged from 283.78 (±1,302.12) to 1,124.58 (±1,844.9) x 1,000 cells/mL. Mean SCC in the refrigeration tanks ranged from 452.75 (±220.7) to 2,057.75 (±1,233) x 1,000 cells/mL. All farms had tanks with SCC above the limit permitted by the current Brazilian legislation (500 × 1,000 cells/mL). There was no correlation between the detection of aflatoxin M1 and SCC in milk samples from the glass collecting jars or refrigeration tanks. The presence of aflatoxin M1 and high SCC indicate deficiency in the sanitation management of the farms and highlight the need for public policies to improve these patterns.

Key Words: aflatoxin M1, somatic cell count, milk