Strictly speaking, cheese should be completely free of aflatoxins, a class of toxic compounds that are produced by certain molds found in food, and can cause liver damage and cancer. In practice, however, the technology used to produce milk and cheese is unable to guarantee the total absence of aflatoxins, as demonstrated by research performed in several countries. In the latest study conducted in Brazil on this subject, a team of researchers analyzed 28 samples of curd cheese and mozzarella produced in Araripe, a subhumid area within the semi-arid region of Pernambuco State (Northeast Brazil). The samples were collected between March and May 2022.
The results are reported in an article published in the journal Toxins. The analysis revealed the presence of aflatoxins in all samples. The highest levels were found in artisan mozzarella, but none had more than 0.25 μg/kg (micrograms per kilogram). This is the upper limit permitted by the European Union and was chosen by the researchers as their parameter as well.
In Brazil, the limit for AFM1 is 2.5 μg/kg, ten times the maximum acceptable level in the EU.
FoodWorld 