The permitted level of aflatoxins is 0.05 micrograms per litre and the 11 samples from Croatian farms recorded a level of 0.057, Jakovina told a press conference in his ministry.

Over the past few weeks the Croatian Veterinary Institute has analysed a total of 184 samples of milk, 158 were taken from the largest dairy plants, 15 from farms and 11 from imported milk.

The results came up with 64 positive samples in industry, 11 from those taken on farms and 1 on imported milk, he said. The source of aflatoxins has been traced to fodder and located to eastern Croatia.

Orders have been issued to stop supplies from the 11 suspect farms and urgent steps have been taken to replace the fodder and to tend to the suspect cows, the costs of which will be covered by the ministry, he said.

Jakovina pointed out that the coordinated venture by the veterinary and sanitary inspections of the entire chain from the field to the table on both domestic and imported milk for retail would continue and assured that Croatian milk was safe for consumption.

The director of one of the largest dairy producers in Croatia, Dukat's Alen Fontana, said that their products on the shelves were safe but to avoid any suspicion Dukat would introduce extra inspections to control mycotoxins in milk bought from domestic and foreign suppliers.

Dragutin Drk, the director of another major dairy producer, Vindija, said that they too would introduce extra checks of their milk supplies.