Background and Objective: The presence of pesticides in milk and dairy products poses a potential risk to consumers. The current study aimed to determine the concentrations of diazinon and cypermethrin in milk, cheese, and butter distributed in Gonbad-Kavus City.
Materials and Methods: A total of 50 samples including raw milk, pasteurized milk, ultra-high-temperature milk, traditional cheese, and traditional butter, were randomly collected from supply centers in Gonbad-Kavus from between 2021 and March 2022. The concentrations of diazinon and cypermethrin in the samples were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
Results: The mean diazinon levels in raw milk, pasteurized milk, and ultra-high-temperature milk samples were 41.91 ± 9.68, 28.07 ± 5.86, and 40.21 ± 9.52 µg/kg, respectively. The mean cypermethrin levels in raw milk, pasteurized milk, and UHT milk samples were 34.06 ± 8.20, 22.63 ± 5.88, and 29.82 ± 8.09 µg/kg, respectively. Significant differences were observed among the sample types for both diazinon and cypermethrin levels. In cheese samples, the mean diazinon and cypermethrin levels were 57.23 ± 10.59 and 38.12 ± 8.69 µg/kg, respectively. In butter samples, the mean diazinon and cypermethrin levels were 16.77 ± 4.15 and 17.50 ± 6.47 µg/kg, respectively.
Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the various types of milk distributed across Gonbad-Kavus contain excessive diazinon residues, while the residual cypermethrin levels were below the allowable limit. Therefore, a codified program to reduce diazinon the residuals in milk, cheese, and butter distributed in Gonbad-Kavus should be implemented.
