[On the presence and the content of aflatoxin M in commercial cheese samples (author's transl)].

Between May 10 and August 9 1976, a total of 197 commercial cheese samples were tested on their aflatoxin M1 content; 136 samples (69%) were positive. The highest value was at 0.23 mug/kg, the average value of all positive samples was at 0.09 mug/kg. In more than half of the positive samples (54%), only traces of aflatoxin M1 could be detected, 21% contained up to 0.1 mug/kg and 14% more than 0.1 mug/kg. In soft cheese definitely less aflatoxin was found (57% positive samples) than in other cheese varieties (83--85% positive samples). Supplemental feeding of concentrates during spring season and pasture grazing of dairy cows resulted in more respectively less aflatoxin-positive cheese samples. This was especially true in soft cheese. The other cheeses with longer ripening periods showed the same effect, however, less pronounced with a clear lag phase. Inspite of many positive identity reactions on aflatoxin M1, a routine control of cheeses so far cannot be recommended because of the negative results on mass spectrometry.