A mycological study was carried out of the fungi occurring in mold-ripened cheese. Samples of cheese were obtained from retail products. Fungi were enumerated by dilution plating on dichloran rose bengal chloramphenicol agar.
In 40 commercial samples examined, including 21 samples of blue-veined cheese and 6 samples of blue-veined cheese covered with white mold fermented soft cheeses. Penicillium species derived from starter cultures, and Geotrichum candidum and yeasts as contaminants were recovered.
Fungal counts were reported as numbers of colony-forming units per gram of sample.
Penicillium roqueforti isolates from blue-veined cheese were subdivided into 5 different types based on cultural characteristics, such as color of colony reverse, sclerotia formation and rough stipes on identification on media. P. camemberti was examined for white cheeses. Other Penicillium species were also isolated from these cheese samples.