The rapid determination of aflatoxin M₁ in dairy products

Abstract

Abstract A method for aflatoxin M 1 in dairy products is presented. It decreases the analysis time compared to currently accepted methods. Samples are extracted in a blender or separatory funnel for 1 min with chloroform and saturated sodium chloride solution. The chloroform extracts are partially purified on a small silica gel column (2 g), and M 1 is determined by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and densitometry. Recoveries of M 1 added to milk are about 80%. Recovery of M 1 from cheeses is variable depending on the type of cheese. The method gave results for a naturally contaminated powdered milk comparable to analyses by accepted methods. The determination limit of the method is about 0.1 μg/kg.