MYCOFLORA OF A TRADITIONAL SPANISH BLUE CHEESE

The mycoflora of a Spanish blue cheese made in a natural way (Valdeon cheese) was investigated. Moulds and yeasts isolated in cheeses at dif ferent stages of manufacture and at the stage of consumption were iden tified to species level and the proteolytic and lipolytic activities o f the major strains estimated. Penicillium was the main genus identifi ed, with P. roqueforti, P. verrucosum, P. chrysogenum, the morphologic ally closely related species P. aurantiogriseum/P. solitum/P. commune, and P. expansum being the major species. Other genera found were Clad osporium, Mucor and to a lesser extent Paecilomyces, Acremonium, Alter naria and Geotrichum. The major species of yeasts found were Debaryomy ces hansenii, Kluyveromyces lactis and Yarrowia lipolytica. On the sur face of the finished cheese P. aurantiogriseum/P. solitum/P. commune a nd D. hansenii were dominant. The most lipolytic species were P. rogue forti, P. verrucosum and Y. lipolytica. P. chrysogenum was the most p roteolytic. None of the P. roqueforti strains showed proteolytic activ ity.