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Blue cheese could get an upgrade thanks to new mould hybrids

Five new varieties of Penicillium roqueforti, the fungus used to make blue cheese, might rescue the fungus from a genetic dead end and produce pharmaceutical compounds

By James Woodford

5 March 2024

A mould creates the distinctive blue veins in Roquefort cheese

Igorr Norman / Alamy

Five new varieties of Penicillium roqueforti, the fungus used to make blue cheese, have been created, possibly helping to secure the future of Stilton, Roquefort and other cheeses.

The work could also lead to new strains of the fungus that further reduce the risk of cheese toxins, as well as others that may have pharmaceutical applications.

Read more

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P. roqueforti is used all over the world to produce blue…

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