Penicillium roqueforti

Thermophilic species such as Streptococcus thermophiles, Lactobacillus helveticus, and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. are associated with Swiss- and Italian-type cheeses. Bacterial species can also be classified as mesophilic because these microorganisms ferment lactose only at 105°F or less.

lactic acid bacteria

The calcium in blue cheese may also be linked to anti-obesity mechanisms that reduce body weight from fat. Studies have found that blue cheese consumption helps with managing levels of visceral fat around the abdominal area and maintaining gut health.

Blue cheese is a type of cheese made using cultures of Penicillium, a type of mold. Certain types of mold produce compounds called mycotoxins, which are considered toxic to humans ( 1 ). These mold spores can grow on foods due to spoilage, and they’re typically fuzzy and white, green, black, blue, or grey ( 2 ).

It is possible to be allergic to the drug and still be able to eat the cheese with impunity, although there are also people who are allergic to both. It’s also worth noting that only 20 per cent of people who think they are allergic to penicillin, actually are.

The main cheese-making Penicilliums — roqueforti (blue cheese), camemberti, (Camembert and Brie) and glaucum (Gorgonzola) — are not penicillin producers. They do produce other antibacterial metabolites — as well as human toxins and allergens — but no medically useful antibiotics.

source Program (FARRP), no evidence exists that moldy cheeses are potentially harmful to mold-allergic individuals. Consumers with mold allergy generally are responding to the inhalation of mold spores.

The simple answer is yes. The Penicillium species used in the production of Brie-type and blue cheeses is distinctly different from the species used to produce the antibiotic penicillin. There are many different species of Penicillium mould.

Mold generally can’t penetrate far into hard and semisoft cheeses, such as cheddar, colby, Parmesan and Swiss. So you can cut away the moldy part and eat the rest of the cheese. Cut off at least 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) around and below the moldy spot.

If you have that moldy piece of bread in a bag at the back of the fridge, or a rotting cantaloupe or orange in the crisper, you’re most likely growing penicillin by accident. In fact, penicillin’s whole discovery hinged on the fact that it was easy to grow accidentally.

Dangerous moulds are those which produce mycotoxins and aflatoxins. These toxins may effect our respiratory system and in some cases even act as carcinogens. In fact, this is true for almost all molds in cheese, which is the reason that cheese has been considered a safe moldy food to eat over the past 9,000 years.

In addition, harmful bacteria, such as listeria, brucella, salmonella, and E. coli, can grow along with the mold.” In other words, you’re putting yourself at risk of ingesting these types of bad bacteria, which can lead to nasty symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting.

High or low temperatures can kill mold spores. There are several methods of removing mold, many of which necessitate the use of harsh chemicals. Temperature change is another way to clean mold. Extreme heat or extreme cold can kill most mold spores.

The mold on blue cheese is from the same family of spores used to make Penicillin. With most foods, spotting gray veins with specks of blue mold accompanied by a quick whiff of ammonia means it’s time to throw whatever it once was in the trash. Yes, many varieties of blue cheese are made with mold.

Unhealthy Cheeses

• Halloumi Cheese. Be aware of how much of this squeaky cheese you’re adding to your morning bagel and salads!
• Goats/ Blue Cheese. 1 oz.
• Roquefort Cheese. Roquefort is a processed blue cheese and is incredibly high in sodium.
• Parmesan.
• Cheddar Cheese.

In the wrong hands, however, these same molds can yield one not-so-chill side effect: high levels of butyric acid, which leaves some blue cheeses tasting like bile and pennies (butyric acid is the same compound famous for giving vomit its trademark smell).

Blue cheese does contain cultures of Penicillium mould. You might therefore think that eating too much blue cheese could have a similar effect to antibiotic resistance, by overexposing the bacteria in your body to Penicillium.

Blue Cheese goes with wings because it tastes better, it enhances the flavor of the wings. Ranch is, at best, lightly seasoned mayonnaise. Blue cheese is a complementary flavor. The sharpness of the cheese counter’s the spicy of the wing, without completely killing it.

Penicillium roqueforti creates the characteristic blue veins in blue cheese after the aged curds have been pierced, forming air tunnels in the cheese. In fact, one type of bacteria in blue cheese, Brevibacterium linens, is the same bacteria responsible for foot and body odor.

The 5 Best Store-Bought Blue Cheese Dressings

Rank	Blue Cheese Dressing	Best Feature
1.	Walden Farms Bleu Cheese Dressing	Healthiest
2.	Wish-Bone Chunky Blue Cheese Salad Dressing	Creamiest
3.	Ken’s Steak House Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing	Chunkiest
4.	Kraft Roka Blue Cheese Salad Dressing	Thickest

On average, blue cheese costs $17.29/lb, compared to $3.91/lb for American cheese and $5.32/lb for cheddar cheese. Blue cheese is 3.2 times more expensive than the average cheddar cheese and 4.4 times more expensive than the average American cheese sold at the grocery store. Clearly, blue cheese costs a pretty penny.

The very common Danish blue is often referred to simply as “blue cheese” and is less expensive than Roquefort. Danish blue is more dry and crumbly, whereas Roquefort is more moist and holds together better. Though still tangy, Danish blue is milder in flavor.

Blue cheese is particularly assertive, so you will want to substitute it with another strong tasting cheese. Feta will work well in many recipes; the texture is similar and it is fairly pungent.

Feta cheese is a much milder, soft cheese similar to blue cheese in texture, but without the blue veins.

Mildest Blue Cheeses Gorgonzola and Danish Blue will have the mildest flavors.

If you think you don’t like blue cheese, you can probably point the finger at Penicillium roqueforti, which is the mold used in those really spicy, sour, piquant cheeses like Roquefort. The other blue mold type, Penicillium glaucum, is way milder, and tastes like toasted hazelnuts and chocolate.

If you’ve read anything about stinky cheese, you may know that a particular French cheese from Burgundy, Epoisse de Bourgogne, usually gets top marks for being the smelliest cheese in the world.