Aflatoxins are a group of highly toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolites predominantly produced by the fungi Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus, and occasionally Aspergillus nomius. These fungi proliferate under warm, humid and tropical conditions, making certain regions, including Ethiopia, particularly susceptible to aflatoxin contamination. Factors such as fluctuating climatic conditions, traditional post-harvest handling and inadequate feed storage systems exacerbate the risk of contamination. When lactating cows consume aflatoxin-contaminated feed, primarily containing Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), it is metabolized in the liver into Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), which is subsequently excreted in milk. This metabolite is heat stable and can persist even after standard milk processing methods such as pasteurization or ultrahigh temperature (UHT) treatment, posing serious food safety concerns. AFM1-contaminated milk is particularly hazardous to vulnerable populations, including infants, young children and pregnant women, as it can impair growth, compromise immunity and increases the risk of liver cancer over prolonged exposure. Effective mitigation strategies require a multifaceted approach. These include adopting proper feed management techniques, such as drying crops to safe moisture levels, using hygienic and elevated storage facilities, employing bio control methods to reduce fungal growth and routinely monitoring aflatoxin levels in both feed and milk. Awareness campaigns and farmer training programs are also critical to encourage compliance with best practices. In Ethiopia, strengthening regulatory frameworks and implementing systematic surveillance of aflatoxins in dairy production can significantly reduce public health risks, enhance milk safety and support the sustainable development of the dairy sector.
| Published in | International Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology (Volume 10, Issue 4) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ijfsb.20251004.12 |
| Page(s) | 93-97 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Aflatoxin, Milk Safety, Dairy Feed Contamination, Ethiopia, Food Safety, Public Health, Storage Practice
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APA Style
Woldamichael, T. T. (2025). Review on the Effect of Aflatoxin on the Safety and Quality of Milk Production in Dairy Farms of Ethiopia. International Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology, 10(4), 93-97. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijfsb.20251004.12
ACS Style
Woldamichael, T. T. Review on the Effect of Aflatoxin on the Safety and Quality of Milk Production in Dairy Farms of Ethiopia. Int. J. Food Sci. Biotechnol. 2025, 10(4), 93-97. doi: 10.11648/j.ijfsb.20251004.12
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Download@article{10.11648/j.ijfsb.20251004.12,
author = {Tegegn Teshome Woldamichael},
title = {Review on the Effect of Aflatoxin on the Safety and Quality of Milk Production in Dairy Farms of Ethiopia},
journal = {International Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology},
volume = {10},
number = {4},
pages = {93-97},
doi = {10.11648/j.ijfsb.20251004.12},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijfsb.20251004.12},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijfsb.20251004.12},
abstract = {Aflatoxins are a group of highly toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolites predominantly produced by the fungi Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus, and occasionally Aspergillus nomius. These fungi proliferate under warm, humid and tropical conditions, making certain regions, including Ethiopia, particularly susceptible to aflatoxin contamination. Factors such as fluctuating climatic conditions, traditional post-harvest handling and inadequate feed storage systems exacerbate the risk of contamination. When lactating cows consume aflatoxin-contaminated feed, primarily containing Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), it is metabolized in the liver into Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), which is subsequently excreted in milk. This metabolite is heat stable and can persist even after standard milk processing methods such as pasteurization or ultrahigh temperature (UHT) treatment, posing serious food safety concerns. AFM1-contaminated milk is particularly hazardous to vulnerable populations, including infants, young children and pregnant women, as it can impair growth, compromise immunity and increases the risk of liver cancer over prolonged exposure. Effective mitigation strategies require a multifaceted approach. These include adopting proper feed management techniques, such as drying crops to safe moisture levels, using hygienic and elevated storage facilities, employing bio control methods to reduce fungal growth and routinely monitoring aflatoxin levels in both feed and milk. Awareness campaigns and farmer training programs are also critical to encourage compliance with best practices. In Ethiopia, strengthening regulatory frameworks and implementing systematic surveillance of aflatoxins in dairy production can significantly reduce public health risks, enhance milk safety and support the sustainable development of the dairy sector.},
year = {2025}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Review on the Effect of Aflatoxin on the Safety and Quality of Milk Production in Dairy Farms of Ethiopia AU - Tegegn Teshome Woldamichael Y1 - 2025/12/26 PY - 2025 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijfsb.20251004.12 DO - 10.11648/j.ijfsb.20251004.12 T2 - International Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology JF - International Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology JO - International Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology SP - 93 EP - 97 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2578-9643 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijfsb.20251004.12 AB - Aflatoxins are a group of highly toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolites predominantly produced by the fungi Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus, and occasionally Aspergillus nomius. These fungi proliferate under warm, humid and tropical conditions, making certain regions, including Ethiopia, particularly susceptible to aflatoxin contamination. Factors such as fluctuating climatic conditions, traditional post-harvest handling and inadequate feed storage systems exacerbate the risk of contamination. When lactating cows consume aflatoxin-contaminated feed, primarily containing Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), it is metabolized in the liver into Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), which is subsequently excreted in milk. This metabolite is heat stable and can persist even after standard milk processing methods such as pasteurization or ultrahigh temperature (UHT) treatment, posing serious food safety concerns. AFM1-contaminated milk is particularly hazardous to vulnerable populations, including infants, young children and pregnant women, as it can impair growth, compromise immunity and increases the risk of liver cancer over prolonged exposure. Effective mitigation strategies require a multifaceted approach. These include adopting proper feed management techniques, such as drying crops to safe moisture levels, using hygienic and elevated storage facilities, employing bio control methods to reduce fungal growth and routinely monitoring aflatoxin levels in both feed and milk. Awareness campaigns and farmer training programs are also critical to encourage compliance with best practices. In Ethiopia, strengthening regulatory frameworks and implementing systematic surveillance of aflatoxins in dairy production can significantly reduce public health risks, enhance milk safety and support the sustainable development of the dairy sector. VL - 10 IS - 4 ER -
Ethiopian Agricultural Authority Department of Milk and Honey Health Safety Quality Regulatory, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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