# Study on Contamination with Some Mycotoxins in Maize and Maize-Derived Foods
## 3 Results
### Zearalenone  
Fusarium fungi produce zearalenone (Figure 4), and the main species producing zearalenone are _F. roseum_, _F. tricinctum_, _F. oxysporum_, _F. graminearum_, _F. moniliforme_, _F. cumorum_, _F. aeranceum_, _F. crookwellense_, _F. nivale_, _F. semitecum_, _F. solani_ and _F. echisti_, which are spread throughout the world, especially in temperate climates [1,39]. Zearalenone infection is reduced in cereals at harvest and raises in storage conditions if humidity reaches 30-40% [1]. Zearalenone is stable at high temperatures (80 \({}^{\circ}\)C-120 \({}^{\circ}\)C) and in neutral media. It may be dissolved in methyl chloride, dimethylformamide alcohols and ethers [40]. The maximum levels of zearalenone are established by Regulation (EC) 1881/2006 for several food categories: 350 uf/kg maize, other cereals 100 ug/kg, bread, pastry, breakfast cereals 50 ug/kg and food for infants 20 ug/kg [41, 42, 43]. From all the maize samples, only 12 are significantly different (_p_ < 0.05%). No significant difference was found at a 95% confidence level between the cornflakes, breakfast cereals and puffs samples. Moreover, the results obtained showed no significant difference (_p_ < 0.05%) for the maize and canned corn samples. The study on the presence of zearalenone was performed on 22 samples of corn grains and corn products (canned corn, corn flakes, breakfast cereals and puff pastry) produced in Romania, as presented in Table 3. Of the 12 corn samples analyzed, 8% were contaminated with zearalenone, and none of the samples of the maize-based foods were contaminated with zearalenone. The determined values did not exceed the maximum limit established by Regulation (EU) No. 1881/2006 (for maize grains, the maximum of 350 ug/kg and for food based on maize, the maximum of 50-100 ug/kg), as presented in Figures 5 and 6. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Country**} & **The** & **No.** & **Deoxynivalenol** & **Deoxynivalenol** & \\  & **Analyzed** & **Samples** & **Incidence\%** & **Mean** & **Range** & **Reference** \\  & **Product** & & & **ug/kg** & **ug/kg** & **ug/kg** \\ \hline Serbia & Corn flakes & 15 & 40.00 & 255.00 & n/a–878.00 & [32] \\  & Corn flour & 56 & 42.90 & 101.00 & n/a–931.00 & [32] \\ Hungary & Corn & 29 & 86.00 & 1872.00 & 225.00–2963.00 & [33] \\  & Corn & 106 & 92.30 & 449.00 & 263.10–2777.40 & [34] \\ Belgium & Corn & 106 & 100.00 & 557.50 & 337.40–5322.40 & [34] \\  & Corn & 106 & 64.70 & 186.50 & 121.30–2110.50 & [34] \\ Germany & Corn & 120 & 100.00 & 216.50 & n/a–1097.20 & [35] \\ Switzerland & Corn & 19 & 100.00 & 135.60 & 78.00–299.00 & [36] \\ China & Corn & 44 & 65.90 & 831.00 & 5.80–9843.30 & [37] \\ Brazil & Pastry & 36 & 100.00 & 591.00 & 60.00–1720.00 & [38] \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: _Cont._  
Figure 4: Zearalenone chemical structure. Risk assessments for the intake of foods contaminated with zearalenone have been performed based on existing exposure data from countries in Europe and Asia. Studies have identified several situations where the daily intake of zearalenone exceeds the TDI as stated by the European Union [43]. According to the IARC, zearalenone is a Group 3 carcinogen [34]. Zearalenone is the lactone of resorcin acid whose chemical structure resembles that of steroid hormones. Zearalenone has nonsteroidal estrogenic action and affects the  
Figure 5: (a) Zearalenone in maize samples; (b) Zearalenone percentage in maize.