# Study on Contamination with Some Mycotoxins in Maize and Maize-Derived Foods
## 4 Discussion  
Strategies to prevent mycotoxin contamination prior to harvesting are particularly important. Good agricultural practices and good production practices are used by producers around the world. Crop rotation, the use of approved substances such as herbicides, fungicides and insecticides (insets are vectors for fungal dissemination) and storage in appropriate conditions for temperature and humidity contributes substantially to reducing the risk of contamination of cereals in the first stages of the food chain [62; 63]. The implementation of HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control points), through clear instructions for monitoring the presence and level of mycotoxins in food, allows safe foods to be placed on the market. One of the greatest dangers associated with food safety is mycotoxins. They have negative effects on all biological systems, from affecting clinical conditions, cellular systems and the metabolism, to decreased animal production. Mycotoxins cause major economic losses through direct action, inducing disease indirectly through damage to the immune system, or qualitatively affecting contaminated products. The world's need for goods commonly used in the manufacture of food for humans and animals, such as corn, has grown constantly in the last years due to higher demand from manufacturers and consumers. The RASFF annual report (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) for 2020 presents 400 tifications regarding mycotoxin (down by 23%) contamination of food products in the European Union [64]. Aflatoxins are the most detected \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Country**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**The**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**No. Samples**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Fumonisins**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Fumonisins**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Fumonisins**} \\  & **Analyzed Product** & & & **Incidence\%** & & **Mean** & **Range** \\  & & & & **ngle/kg** & & **ngle/kg** & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Romania} & Corn, canned corn, corn & 10 & 70.00 & 154.55 & nd–1009.36 & \\  & corn, corn & 4 & 25.00 & 37.68 & nd–73.00 & \\ \cline{1-1}  & & & & & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & & & & & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & & & & & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & & & & & & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 6: Studies on the occurrence of fumonis in maize and maize-derived foods. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Country**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**The**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**No. Samples**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Fumonisins**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Fumonisins**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Fumonisins**} \\  & **Analyzed Product** & & & **Incidence\%** & & **Mean** & **Range** \\  & & & & & **ngle/kg** & & \\ \hline \multirow{8}{*}{Belgium} & Corn & 106 & 2.50 & 1.50 & 0.00–70.20 & \\  & Corn & 106 & 19.80 & 61.10 & 0.00–1362.90 & \\  & Corn & 106 & 61.20 & 247.40 & 54.00–4414.90 & \\  & Corn & 106 & nd & nd & nd & nd \\ \cline{1-1}  & Corn & 106 & 4.90 & 9.00 & 0.00–412.60 & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Corn & 106 & 24.70 & 61.60 & 0.00–1427.40 & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Corn & 106 & nd & nd & nd & [34] \\ \cline{1-1}  & Corn & 106 & 7.40 & 3.40 & 0.00–90.50 & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Corn & 106 & 18.80 & 18.00 & 0.00–451.20 & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Corn & 106 & 2.50 & 1.30 & 0.00–70.20 & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Corn & 106 & 19.80 & 73.60 & 0.00–1782.80 & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Corn & 106 & 61.20 & 327.00 & 58.70–6293.50 & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Italy & Corn & 697 & 100.00 & 10900.00 & 25.00–77000.00 & [58] \\ \cline{1-1}  & Brazil & Corn & 40 & 100.00 & 2338.50 & 230.00–6450.00 & [46] \\ \cline{1-1}  & Spain & Corn & 92 & 100.00 & 2610.00 & 337.00–10613.00 & [59] \\ \cline{1-1}  & & Corn flakes & 47 & 21.00 & 42.00 & nd–67.00 & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Canada & Corn & 10 & 100.00 & 4.64 & 0.73–10.21 & [60] \\ \cline{1-1}  & Corn flakes & 14 & 100.00 & 104.10 & 1.00–171.00 & \\ \cline{1-1}  & & Corn flakes & 14 & 93.00 & 14.20 & \textless{}0.27–25.60 & [61] \\ \cline{1-1}  & Corn flakes & 14 & 93.00 & 17.30 & \textless{}0.27–31.50 & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
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