**1. Introduction**

Natural mycotoxin contamination has been identified as an emerging problem in agriculture. These toxic secondary metabolites produced by some fungal species are often found in food and feed (especially in grains) and cause high risk for food- and feed-borne intoxication in both humans and livestock [1]. The wide range of their negative effects includes, e.g., genotoxic, cytotoxic, mutagenic, and teratogenic effects [2]. Among all the toxic filamentous fungi species, *Aspergillus*, *Fusarium*, and *Penicillium* are important genera, producing regularly detected and widely studied toxins including aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin, fumonisin, and zearalenone (ZON) [3]. Mycotoxins found in human urine, indicate the possibility of chronic exposure [4]. In addition, a northward migration of toxicogenic plant pathogenic fungi has been reported assumedly triggered by climate change [5–7]. ZON is a frequently occurring mycotoxin, produced by species of the *Fusarium* genus, including *F. graminearum*, *F. culmorum*, *F. semitectum*, *F. cerealis*, and *F. equiseti* [8]. Its most known impact on human health is endocrine disruption: ZON and derivatives trigger estrogen-like effects in mammals causing alteration in hormone-mediated processes, e.g., the production of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), and reductions in the number of Leydig and granulosa cells [9]. The potential health and economic impacts of ZON necessitate its routine monitoring in food and commodities, which have led to the development and validation of analytical methods in recent decades.
