Mycotoxins in dairy products: A review

Milk and dairy products continue to raise concerns with regard to contamination with mycotoxins, most of which have a likely or confirmed carcinogenic status. Such concerns are more serious for certain cheeses due to their frequent contamination with high concentrations of mycotoxins from various sources, including the milk used as a raw material and moulds found as contaminants or purposely added for ripening. Different control measures have been suggested to prevent the formation or to remove mycotoxins in dairy products once formed therein. However, these methods either provide an insufficient degree of protection or are onerous to implement. This review surveys the main mycotoxins associated with dairy products and discusses their health significance. Attention is drawn to the lack of knowledge on the emerging and masked mycotoxins with relevance to dairy products. Known control measures are discussed from the perspective of their application while presenting their strengths and weaknesses.