Paata Imnadze, head of the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, has stated that the levels of aflatoxins found in milk samples from Soplis Nobati are not high enough to pose an immediate health risk.
“The amount of aflatoxins detected cannot cause acute poisoning,” Imnadze emphasized. “For aflatoxins to lead to serious conditions such as liver disease, exposure must be prolonged and in significantly larger doses.”
He noted that countries apply different safety thresholds for aflatoxins, and Georgia follows strict European standards—10 times tougher than those in the United States.
“At the levels detected, which are below the permissible limits in many developed countries, there is no cause for concern,” Imnadze said during a meeting at the Ministry of Health.
The meeting, convened by Health Minister Mikheil Sarjveladze, included toxicologists and key officials such as First Deputy Health Minister Irakli Sasania, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Apolon Kakabadze, and Head of the National Food Agency Zurab Chekurishvili.
This comes after the National Food Agency reported that five samples of imported milk tested positive for excessive levels of aflatoxin M1. The contaminated products, including those from Soplis Nobati, are currently being withdrawn and sealed off from the market.
