Newly electro-spun sensor based on deep eutectic solvent system and its utilization for voltammetry detection of aflatoxin M1: Dairy products studied, specifically milk and cheese

Ensuring food safety remains a global priority, particularly regarding mycotoxins such as Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), a carcinogenic metabolite excreted into milk by livestock exposed to contaminated feed. AFM1 is highly stable during processing and storage, making its presence in dairy products a serious concern. Conventional detection methods, while accurate, often require expensive instrumentation, complex sample preparation, and lengthy analysis times. Therefore, there is a pressing need for rapid, cost-effective, and sensitive detection strategies to monitor AFM1 contamination in dairy matrices. In this study, we developed a novel electrochemical sensor based on polyacrylonitrile nanofibers modified with 4-aminophenylacetic acid, urea, and β-cyclodextrin within a deep eutectic solvent matrix. The sensor exhibited excellent analytical performance, with a linear detection range of 9.85–98.48 ngL⁻¹, a limit of detection (LOD) of 3.28 ngL⁻¹, and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 9.79 ngL⁻¹. It demonstrated high selectivity toward AFM1, and successfully detected the toxin in spiked milk and cheese samples with recovery rates exceeding 90%, confirming its potential for practical food safety applications. While the sensor demonstrated promising results under laboratory conditions, further validation under real-world scenarios is recommended to confirm its robustness and applicability in routine monitoring. • DES-modified PAN nanofibers for electrochemical AFM1 sensing • Sensitive detection with wide linear range • High recovery in milk and cheese samples • Rapid and cost-effective dairy monitoring tool