Based on the analysis of milk samples from Minas Gerais State, the leading producer in the dairy chain in Brazil, the occurrence of AFM1 does not appear to be a serious public health hazard, according to Brazilian legislation. However, aflatoxins are recurrent and their presence in foods and feeds may be particularly difficult to prevent or suppress. By comparing our findings with the Codex Alimentarius and European standards, some samples of raw milk showed exceeding values for the AFM1 toxin, which represents a public health concern, according international criteria. For this reason, data on climate influences in mycotoxin contamination in milk and feedstuff provided to cattle are of great relevance, particularly in tropical climate countries as Brazil, where different conditions of rainfall, relative humidity and temperature are perceived on unequable basis.
Regarding the toxicological impact of the AFM1 contamination, the reported occurrence of this toxin in raw milk from Minas Gerais and the estimated daily intake for adults were superior in the drier periods (dry and transition periods). Also, the results of the confirmatory analysis by HPLC showed a higher exposure to AFM1. Nevertheless, considering that raw milk has an essential role in dairy chain, the mycotoxin contamination can be passed forward through milk derivates production. It is relevant to note that in Table 5, the daily intake of AFM1 is expressed in μg/person/day, considering a body weight of 60 kg. However, as essential and nutritious food, milk is consumed mainly by infants and in some cases by elderly people. Thus, the reported values could be underestimated, also due to the fact that the estimated values for milk consumption do not include other dairy foods such as cheese, yogurt and sweets.