The Evaluation of Aflatoxin Contamination in Various Foods in Iran: a Review

Introduction: Aflatoxins are the secondary fungal metabolites produced by Aspergillus fungi, particularly Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus nomius, and Aspergillus parasiticus. Aflatoxins have adverse effects on human and animal health and cause various diseases, including hepatic disorders. The four main types of aflatoxins are B1, B2, G1, and G2. In addition, aflatoxins M1 and M2 are the metabolites derived from aflatoxins B1 and B2. The present study aimed to evaluate aflatoxin contamination in various foods in Iran. Methods: In this review, we investigated the studies on aflatoxin contamination in different foods via searching in databases such as SID, Science Direct, Pub Med, and Google Scholar using keywords such as aflatoxin, Iran, incidence, food, oil, and milk and dairy products. The abstracts of the related articles were reviewed, and the studies containing data on the levels of aflatoxins were selected. Results: Aflatoxins were detected in most of the tested foods in the reviewed studies. In the majority of the studies focused on milk and dairy products, the levels of aflatoxins were higher than the recommended values by the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran and the European Union. Conclusion: According to the results, practical management and adoption of control strategies are essential to the assurance of consumer safety regarding the aflatoxin residues in different foods in Iran.