Camembert, brie and various blue cheeses are on the “verge of extinction” due to a collapse in microbial diversity, the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) said. Cheese itself contains its own ecosystem of fungi and bacteria which turn milk fats and proteins into different compounds. Recently, however, specific mold strains are waning in biodiversity, with one specific strain of fungi at risk of dying out completely.
The particular strain in question is Penicillium camemberti, which is hailed as “the gold standard for brie and Camembert” because of its appetizing qualities, Vox explained. Unlike most molds, though, Penicillium camemberti can’t reproduce sexually with other fungi to create new genetic diversity. As a result, cheesemakers have to clone it — but that has become increasingly difficult because of mutations that interfere with the fungi’s ability to produce spores.
