FUNGI CAUSING THREAD MOLD SPOILAGE OF VACUUM PACKAGED CHEDDAR CHEESE DURING MATURATION

Thread mould is a defect which occurs sporadically in maturing vacuum packaged Cheddar cheese, caused by the growth of fungi in folds and wrinkles of the plastic film in which the cheese is packaged. Fungi were isolated and identified from 110 Cheddar cheese blocks exhibiting typical thread mould defects. The major causative species were found to be Cladosporium cladosporioides, Penicillium commune, C. herbarum, P. glabrum and a Phoma species. Yeasts were also frequently isolated from the cheese, the majority belonging to the genus Candidaa. Fungal species which can cause thread mould defects were also found in the cheese factory environment, on cheesmaking equipment, in air, and in curd and whey, providing a wide range of potential sources of contamination.