## 4 Conclusions  
This study investigated the levels of AFM1 in various brands of CM available in Mexico and assessed the carcinogenic risk index across different age groups. AFM1 was detected in all CM samples analyzed, with 80% exceeding the maximum limits established by Mexican and European regulations, which raises significant public health concerns. Notably, the products under analysis are distributed nationwide and accessible to consumers across all socio-economic strata, thereby emphasizing a widespread risk of exposure throughout the country. Cancer risk estimates derived from EDI and IRC have identified a significantly elevated susceptibility among children aged 1 to 4 during this crucial developmental phase. Monte Carlo simulations have corroborated these findings by encompassing various exposure scenarios and confirming that peak risk levels disproportionately impact younger demographics. The findings underscore the urgent necessity to augment national surveillance, particularly regarding dairy products consumed by children. Regulatory authorities should prioritize the implementation of AFM1 limits, enhance on-farm feed management and storage protocols, and establish thorough risk-based surveillance strategies that extend beyond  
Figure 3: Dendrogram of commercial milk samples based on hierarchical cluster analysis. The \(X\)-axis represents individual milk samples, while the \(Y\)-axis indicates group distance, reflecting the similarity between samples based on AFM1 concentration, price per liter, milk classification (regular or organic), and heat treatment method (pasteurized or UHT). average exposure assessments. Future research should expand the geographic and seasonal scope of sampling and examine biomarker-based exposure evaluations, particularly within vulnerable populations. **Supplementary Materials:** The following supporting information can be downloaded at: [[https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app15116106/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app15116106/s1)]([https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app15116106/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app15116106/s1)), Table S1. Characteristics of the collected samples; Figure S1. The calibration curve for AFM1 was obtained through HPLC-FLD within the range of 0.01 to 0.5 \(\upmu\)g/L; Figure S2. HPLC-FLD chromatograms of the AFM1 standard solutions calibration curve at ascending concentrations. \(\upmu\)g/L: micrograms per liter; min: minutes; mV: millivolt; Figure S3. Chromatograms demonstrating AFM1 in milk samples processed through liquid-liquid extraction for method selectivity, analyzed by HPLC-FLD: (a) initial concentration of AFM1 in the unfortified sample; (b) standard concentration enriched with 1.0 \(\upmu\)g/L of AFM1; (c) sample B. **Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, A.M.-A., G.M.R.-S. and S.R.T.-S.; methodology, A.S.J.-O. and C.J.-P.; software, A.M.-A. and C.J.-P.; validation, G.M.R.-S. and C.J.-P.; formal analysis, G.M.R.-S.; investigation, A.M.-A. ; resources, A.C.-O. ; data curation, A.C.-O. ; writing--original draft preparation, A.M.-A. ; writing--review and editing, S.R.T.-S.; visualization, A.S.J.-O., C.J.-P. and S.R.T.-S.; supervision, G.M.R.-S. and N.d.S.C.-C.; project administration, G.M.R.-S. and N.d.S.C.-C.; funding acquisition, G.M.R.-S. and N.d.S.C.-C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. **Funding:** This research received no external funding. **Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable. **Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable. **Data Availability Statement:** The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author. **Acknowledgments:** The authors express their sincere gratitude to the Departamento de Biotecnologia of the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana Unidad Iztapalapa for granting permission to utilize its facilities and equipment for the measurements conducted in this research. **Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflicts of interest.