The Critical Control Point of Aspergillus spp. Aflatoxin Contamination in Smallholder Dairy Farms

Feed and food contamination by toxigenic fungi and their aflatoxins is one of the main threats to animal and human health worldwide and in the agricultural and industrial sectors. This study evaluated the contamination magnitude by Aspergillus species in dairy farms, aflatoxin AFB1 in cow feeds, and aflatoxin AFM1 in milk and local cheese (Dangke). One hundred twenty-two swabs from farms, 12 roughage feeds, 16 concentrated feeds, 39 fresh cow milk, and six cheese samples were analyzed for Aspergillus spp., AFB1, and AFM1 contamination. Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger were detected in 13.93% and 7.38% of the swab samples, respectively. The roughage feeds showed low levels of AFB1, detected in 8.33% with contamination of 7.32 µ/kg, while concentrated feed was detected in 37.5% of specimens, with contamination levels of 27.8 µg/kg. Aflatoxin AFM1 was detected in raw milk samples and represented approximately 69.2% of samples, with a mean of 7.31 µg/kg. All local cheese samples were free of AFM1. There were critical points regarding HACCP inside the farms, which play significant roles in contamination by fungi and aflatoxins. Fungal contamination and aflatoxins pose dangerous public health problems to humans, especially infants and older people. Therefore, monitoring programs for mycotoxins are critical in reducing contamination.