Experts from the University of Nottingham have made a groundbreaking discovery in the world of blue cheese. By manipulating the pigment produced by the fungi responsible for the cheese’s ripening, they have been able to create blue cheese in a variety of colors. The team of experts from the Faculty of Life Sciences has published their findings in the journal npj Science of Food.
The key to their success lies in understanding how the classic blue-green vein is formed in cheeses like Stilton, Roquefort, and Gorgonzola. The fungus Penicillium roqueforti, which is used worldwide in the production of these blue vein cheeses, generates pigmented spores during fungal growth, giving the cheese its distinctive color and flavor.
Using a combination of bioinformatics, genetic deletions, and gene expression, the researchers led by Dr. Paul Dyer, Professor of Fungal Biology, unraveled the biochemical pathway responsible for the production of the blue-green pigment. By manipulating this pathway, they were able to create new strains of fungi with different colors, ranging from white to greenish-yellow, red, and various shades of blue.
Dr. Dyer and his team have been studying cheese fungi for over a decade, aiming to develop new flavors and appearances. By inducing sexual reproduction in the fungus, they were able to generate a wide range of strains with novel flavors and attractive appearances. The professor explained that taste tests revealed some interesting findings, with people perceiving softer flavors in the lighter colored varieties and picking up a sour and fruity element in the redder brown and light green options.
The next step for the team is to collaborate with cheesemakers in Nottinghamshire and Scotland to bring these new color variants of blue cheese to market. A spin-off company called Myconeos has also been established to explore the commercialization of these innovative strains.
Dr. Dyer believes that these new cheeses will provide a satisfying sensory experience for consumers and potentially attract new people to the market. With their unique flavors and appearances, the future of blue cheese certainly looks colorful.