Two traditional French cheeses are under threat due to a lack of genetic diversity as a result of years of asexual reproduction. If the Camembert is to survive, consumers will have to become accustomed to variations in texture, taste, and color.
Researchers at CRNS, the largest fundamental science agency in Europe, uncovered a significant challenge to the production of Camembert and Roquefort cheese. In the pursuit of creating visually and gastronomically pleasing cheeses free from mycotoxins, manufacturers are exerting pressure on fungus selection which has led to an intense reduction in the genetic material of microorganisms.
The prevalent practice of asexual reproduction among microorganisms, favored by manufacturers, has demonstrated its unsustainability over the long term. This process causes microorganisms to lack new genetic material and consequently accumulate many mutations. Consequently, they are unable to produce asexual spores, critical cells in fungi used for both asexual and sexual production.
Since 1902, camembert production has involved the asexual reproduction of one singular strain, penicillium camemberti. This mutated albino strain is the reason for camembert’s rind and distinctive white color and texture.
Standardization of processes
However, the consequences of species standardization go beyond aesthetics, ushering in a degeneration of the strain that is leading to infertility and potential extinction. Sexual reproduction is the only way to compensate for mutated genes as it allows for the introduction of new genetic material.
The possibility of extinction of P. camemberti has caused some manufacturers to worry. In an interview with France Info, Charles Bréand, producer in Bermonville (Seine-Maritime) of 5 Frères, stated, “If I don’t have it anymore, I won’t make Camembert!… It is a compound which only represents 2 or 3% of the cheese, but it is essential.”
Similarly, the formation of mold on blue cheeses like roquefort is due to a specific strain of fungus called penicillium roqueforti which is being overproduced asexually through clonal lineages. Although the population of the strain used by Protected Destination of Origin Roquefort (PDO) retains enough genetic diversity to survive, manufacturers of all other blue cheeses are exerting so much pressure on their strain of P. roqueforti that it is “weakening to the point of being infertile.”
However, despite the alarmist tone of the report, researcher Tatiana Giraud who led the study assured Le Parisen that the situation is more of a long-term problem than an immediate danger, affirming that the camembert industry will not be threatened in the next five to ten years.
According to CNRS magazine, Termignon Bleu, a relatively unknown cheese originating from Savoie, can potentially save blue cheeses from extinction. The cheese naturally produces its unique population of P. roqueforti and could therefore offer genetic diversity that manufacturers desperately need, although they would have to risk slight variations in the final product as a result of using sexual reproduction.
The future of Camembert is less certain, however. AOP camembert, having imposed the albino strain of P. camemberti on the inoculation of camembert, is finding it more and more difficult to acquire large quantities of this strain which is losing its ability to reproduce.
A solution lies with the introduction of Penicillium biforme, a species that is genetically similar to P. camemberti but has a greyish-green color rather than pure white. If these are inoculated together to save the future of camembert, consumers will have to adapt to potential changes in the color and texture of the cheese, something which manufacturers have tried to avoid since 1902.
Additional hurdles: regulations and contamination risks
This genetic threat is not the only obstacle in the production of camembert cheese in France.
A report by the Journal of Dairy Science examines the risk of contamination during the production process of camembert. Because the ripening process occurs in open air at 15 degrees Celsius, the cheese is at increased risk of contamination by environmental pathogens such as Lysteria monocytogenes.
Since 2016, the United States has been enforcing strict regulations on the importation of raw milk products such as camembert. The authentic camembert from Normandy is with unpasteurized milk, 50% of which must come from cows from Normandy, and is banned by the FDA. The process remains protected by AOP, despite a battle between industrial producers, preventing other manufacturers of camembert from receiving the PDO stamp.
