The Future of Cheese: Understanding the Risks and Opportunities
The white mold Penicilium candidum, crucial for producing certain cheeses like Brie and Camembert, is at risk of extinction due to its reliance on a single strain that has been cloned for over a century. This threatens the multibillion-dollar cheese industry, which relies heavily on this mold for its distinctive flavor and texture.
Cheese makers use traditional methods to produce their cheese, including inoculating warm milk with mold, curdling it with renit, and aging it in a controlled temperature room. However, the lack of genetic diversity in the mold used for cheese production makes it susceptible to disease and environmental stress, highlighting the importance of finding new, diverse strains.
The Cheese Production Process
- Inoculating warm milk with mold to give it a pungent and complex flavor
- Curdling the milk with renit to separate it into solid curds and liquid whey
- Chilling, flipping, and submerging the curds in a saltwater bath to add flavor and preserve them
- Aging the wheels in a controlled temperature room, where mold grows and creates a fluffy layer
The resulting cheese is creamy, mild, and buttery with a slight funk, making it a global sensation. However, the popularity of this cheese may also lead to its demise due to the lack of genetic diversity in the mold used for its production.
The Risks of Lack of Biodiversity
Lack of biodiversity makes crops susceptible to pests and diseases, which can quickly wipe out entire strains. This is a concern for industries that rely on limited crop varieties, such as the Cavendish banana, which is being decimated by a deadly fungus.
Similarly, the cheese industry’s reliance on a single strain of mold makes it vulnerable to disease and environmental stress. Researchers are working to find new, diverse strains of mold that can be used for cheese production, including exploring the ancestor of Penicillium candidum, Penicillium, which has a huge diversity in terms of colors and genetics.
Searching for Solutions
Scientists are studying mold to find a solution to the overdependence on a single white mold. They are examining the diversity of molds in natural cheeses and searching for consistent and safe strains that don’t produce toxic cyclopiazonic acid.
Meanwhile, cheese makers are discovering new, non-toxic molds that can be used to produce unique and delicious cheeses. For example, a cheesemaker discovered a new mold on a hay bale at a farm, which led to the creation of a unique cheese, Shenley Station Blue.
- The farm’s blue cheese production involves a labor-intensive process, including hand-rolling wheels in salt and piercing them to allow blue mold to grow
- The cheese is turned twice a week and aged for up to 6 months, resulting in a crumbly texture and sweet flavor
These efforts highlight the importance of preserving and promoting biodiversity in the cheese industry, and the potential for discovering new and exciting cheeses that can withstand future diseases and mutations.
Key Vocabulary
| Term | Definition | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Extinction | The state or process of a species or group of organisms becoming extinct, or dying out. | The white mold Penicilium candidum is at risk of extinction due to its reliance on a single strain. |
| Genetic diversity | The variety of different genes and gene combinations within a species or population. | The lack of genetic diversity in the mold used for cheese production makes it susceptible to disease. |
| Inoculating | Introducing a microorganism, such as a mold or bacteria, into a substance, such as milk, to cause fermentation or growth. | Cheese makers inoculate warm milk with mold to give it a pungent and complex flavor. |
| Curdling | The process of separating milk into solid curds and liquid whey, typically using an enzyme such as rennet. | Cheese makers curdle the milk with rennet to separate it into solid curds and liquid whey. |
| Rennet | An enzyme used to curdle milk, typically derived from the stomach lining of young animals. | Cheese makers use rennet to curdle the milk and separate it into solid curds and liquid whey. |
| Biodiversity | The variety of different species, ecosystems, and genes within a given area or community. | The cheese industry’s reliance on a single strain of mold highlights the importance of preserving biodiversity. |
| Susceptible | Easily influenced or affected by something, such as a disease or environmental stress. | The lack of genetic diversity in the mold makes it susceptible to disease and environmental stress. |
| Strain | A group of organisms that share a common set of characteristics or genetic traits. | The cheese industry relies on a single strain of mold, which makes it vulnerable to disease. |
| Penicillium | A genus of fungi that includes species used in cheese production, such as Penicillium candidum. | Researchers are exploring the diversity of Penicillium to find new strains for cheese production. |
| Cyclopiazonic acid | A toxic compound produced by some species of mold, including Penicillium. | Scientists are searching for strains of mold that do not produce toxic cyclopiazonic acid. |
| Mutation | A change in the DNA sequence of an organism, which can result in new traits or characteristics. | The cheese industry is vulnerable to mutations in the mold used for production, which can affect the quality and safety of the cheese. |
| Pungent | Having a strong, sharp smell or flavor. | Cheese makers inoculate warm milk with mold to give it a pungent and complex flavor. |
| Complex | Having many different parts or elements, making it difficult to understand or analyze. | The flavor of the cheese is complex, with a combination of sweet, sour, and umami notes. |
Why the Mold Behind Brie Cheese Is Disappearing 🎓
Explore the advanced terminology extracted from the source material.
Watch The Video
Vocabulary Quiz
Grammar Focus
Grammar Focus: The Use of Passive Voice in Scientific and Technical Texts
The passive voice is often used in scientific and technical writing to emphasize the action or process rather than the person performing it. This is particularly common in texts that describe complex procedures, experiments, or manufacturing processes, such as the cheese production process. The passive voice is used to create a sense of objectivity and to focus attention on the steps involved in the process rather than the individuals carrying them out.
In the provided text, examples of the passive voice include ‘milk is inoculated’, ‘curds are chilled’, and ‘wheels are aged’. The use of the passive voice in these sentences helps to create a clear and concise description of the cheese production process, and allows the reader to focus on the key steps involved.
