(NewsNation) — Some French cheeses, including Brie and camembert, are at risk of disappearing due to a collapse of bacterium needed to produce them, according to France’s National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS).
Concerns were raised in January after scientists at Paris-Saclay released a study identifying penicillium camemberti, the main fungus used in creating camembert and other cheeses, was increasingly in short supply due to industrial production methods.
Penicillium camemberti, which is also the main strain of fungi that France’s biggest cheesemakers rely on, is experiencing problems reproducing, scientists said. They note the problem is largely a result of the pressures of industrial production and isn’t performance anxiety per se.
Cheeses like camembert and Brie were previously aged in caves where naturally occurring mold spores gave them blue or sometimes yellow-brown rinds, the study said.
However, penicillium camemberti has been favored since the late 1800s, replacing the indigenous mold, because it creates the cheese’s signature uniform white rinds. Other strains produce greys, oranges and greens tinges with distinct flavor profiles, according to CNRS.
The study reveals that, unlike cave dwellings, penicillium camemberti has a low genetic diversity and declined capacity to reproduce sexually.
“Our findings raise questions about the use of limited number of clonal strains for cheese making, which tends to lead to degeneration, limiting the possibilities for further improvement,” the study said.
CNRS explained the meaning further, stating, “It is now very difficult for manufacturers to obtain sufficient quantities of P. camemberti spores to inoculate their Normandy cheese production.”