The effect of single or mixtures of antioxidants on the lag phase prior to growth, growth rate, hydrolytic enzyme production (N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, β-D-glucosidase and α-D-galactosidase) and fumonisin production by Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum was evaluated on maize-based media at 25 °C, and under different water activity (aW) conditions. An increase in the lag phase (h) was observed for both F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum especially with propyl paraben (PP)+butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) treatments at all aW levels tested. For both species PP alone or in combination with BHA, at concentrations of 0.5 and 1 mM reduced the growth rates by > 85% at the three aW levels tested (0.995; 0.98 and 0.95). PP+butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) or trihydroxybutyrophenone (THBP) were less effective in controlling growth, regardless of aW level. Combinations of PP+BHA reduced the fumonisin concentrations produced by F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum at 0.995 and 0.98 aW significantly. However, at low concentrations of antioxidants (0.5 mM) some stimulation in fumonisin production was observed with some treatments. The efficacy of the treatments was reflected in the impact on enzyme production. In the untreated control the highest total enzyme activity of three hydrolytic enzymes was observed at 0.995 aW after 96 h. All the antioxidant treatments alone or combined resulted in a significant reduction (P < 0.001) of the total enzyme activity at the aW levels tested. Only 10 mM THBP produced an increase in the total amount of N-acetyl-β-D-glucosidase by both F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum. For the three enzymes single factors: time, aW and antioxidant treatments, most two and all three way interactions were significant (P < 0.001). The use of combined mixtures of antioxidants could be a good strategy to diminish the entry of fumonisin into the animal feed and human food chains.