ZONMAIZE: EU-SMT-project for the production of certified reference materials (CRM) for the determination of Zearalenone in Maize

This paper decribes the course of the project "ZONMAIZE" which has been funded by the European Commission within the Standards, Measurement and Testing Programme (SM&T). The project deals with the preparation and certification of both a maize naturally contaminated with zearalenone (ZON) (c=40-120 μg/kg ZON in maize) and a blank' maize material (<5 μg/kg ZON in maize) to improve the quality and comparability of ZON analysis. In addition, a certified ZON calibrant (in acetonitrile) has been produced and ampouled (cZON=10 μg/l). After pre-analyses, homogenisation, drying and packaging, homogeneity and short time stability tests, two preliminary intercomparison studies and one certification exercise were carried out by a consortium of 27 European laboratories from 11 different European countries.