Fungal Toxin Found in Cereals

Government scientists have detected a hormone-disrupting fungal toxin called zearalenone in maize, oats, rice and wheat in India and asked the country’s food authority to set safety limits for the toxin as many other countries have done.

What is Zearalenone?

• Zearalenone is a fungal toxin infesting cereals such as wheat, maize and barley.
• It attacks crops while they are growing, but can also develop when cereals are stored without being dried fully.
• While numerous studies document this toxin in cereals across the world, no data existed for India until now.
• A Journal of Food Science study detected zearalenone
• in wheat, rice, ....