Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is carcinogen and belongs to a larger group of mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of moulds, among which Aspergillus parasiticus strains produce aflatoxins. These toxins can be found in various foods, including dry-cured meat products. The main objective of the study was to determine how lower (12 ºC, 14 ºC, 16 ºC, 18 ºC) than optimal temperature, incubation time (3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 27, 34 days), and substrate affect mould growth and AFB1 production. We aimed to simulate conditions characteristic for dry-cured meat maturation. Therefore, in addition to the standard YES broth (yeast extract with sucrose), we used a liquid culture medium prepared as a meat substrate (CMB, cooked meat broth with glucose). A. parasiticus was inoculated into both types of media. Mould growth was assessed by biomass determination after incubation under selected conditions. Simultaneously, AFB1 concentration was determined using solid-phase extraction followed by LC-MS/MS analysis. The results showed that the substrate, incubation time and temperature affect the growth of the A. parasiticus and the formation of AFB1. The key finding is that the temperature of 18 ºC represents a critical limit at which the formation of AFB1 increases significantly. Based on these results, we conclude that lowering the temperature below 18 ºC during the maturation of cured meat products reduces the risk of AFB1 formation and the resulting health risks for humans. In addition, we found that the growth and formation of AFB1 in A. parasiticus is not negligible even at temperatures lower than 18 ºC. The influence of the culture media type on the kinetics of AFB1 formation is important, which requires further research on real samples of cured meats. It would be reasonable to conduct additional experiments with a longer incubation time, as the process of making dry salami lasts from 30 to 90 days, and storage can reach 120 days
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