High levels of a cancer-causing fungus has been found in raw milk from a western German farm. The authorities in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) suspect contaminated cow feed from Serbia.
Before being pasteurised, milk from the farm had twice as much aflatoxin – produced by the Aspergillus species of mould – than national standards allow.
There was a possibility that the contaminated raw milk had already been sent to dairies for processing, the state Consumer Protection Ministry said. Until the milk has levels below 50 nanogrammes of aflatoxin per kilogramme of milk it may not be sold. Current levels were around 100 nanogrammes.
Milk from cows which have ingested aflatoxin – one of the strongest naturally occurring carcinogens – is “particularly dangerous,” said Udo Paschedag from Lower Saxony’s Agriculture Ministry.
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