Detoxification and Control Strategies of Zearalenone in Food and Feed

Zearalenone is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium species that contaminates cereal products used for food and feed such as maize, wheat, oats, and barley. Zearalenone is an estrogenic mycotoxin that can lead to several health problems including decreased reproduction in livestock causing economic losses. Zearalenone is a resistant and heat-stable molecule and its complete removal from food and feed is unachievable. Hence, control measures should be applied throughout the whole food chain. Nonetheless, decontamination processes that are discussed in this chapter have been established including physical, chemical, and biological ones. Physical decontamination includes removal of Zearalenone through physical degradation methods, while chemical methods involve the usage of strong oxidants or chemicals to inactivate the mycotoxin's structure. However, both physical and chemical methods can negatively affect food quality. Therefore, biological methods can be adopted by using microorganisms and enzymes to degrade Zearalenone.