Traces of Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), a deadly carcinogen, were found in some of the milk samples tested as part of a national survey by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The final results of the milk survey were released on October 18, 2019.
Out of the 6,432 total milk samples that were tested, 368 (5.7 per cent) were found to have aflatoxins beyond permissible limits.
The highest rates of aflatoxin contamination were found in
Tamil Nadu (88 out of 551 samples)
Delhi (38 out of 262 samples)
Kerala (37 out of 187 samples)
The carcinogen was found to be more prevalent in ‘processed’ rather than raw milk.
Consumption of food containing aflatoxin concentrations of one milligram/kilogram or higher has been suspected to cause aflatoxicosis.
Aflatoxicosis acute liver failure, jaundice, lethargy and nausea, eventually leading to death, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) study in February 2018.