Abstract: Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a toxic secondary metabolite primarily produced by Fusarium graminearum. It is widely distributed in cereals and related products and can cause huge economic losses to the world food industry and pose a major threat to human health. What needs more attention is that DON could be transformed into various derivatives under the action of plants and microorganisms. And these derivatives often co-exist with the DON prototype, which increases the safety risk of cereals and related products. This paper discusses the physicochemical characteristics, influencing factors and the derivative types of DON, and focuses on the research progress of pollution status of DON and its derivatives, and their changes during processing of cereal-based products, so as to provide beneficial reference for risk assessment and prevention and control of DON and its derivatives in cereal and related products.