Geotrichum candidum

What the fungus is

Geotrichum candidum is a filamentous fungus that also behaves like a yeast, growing as chains of cells that split into separate units. It is ubiquitous in the environment, and in food it is used as a deliberate culture rather than as a spoilage organism when it is controlled.

On cheese it forms the pale, velvety coat seen on many soft-ripened cheeses. Its appearance is the most visible sign of its work, but the change it makes is underneath the rind.

What it does on cheese

Geotrichum candidum deacidifies the rind. Lowering the acidity of the surface lets acid-sensitive bacteria grow, and its enzymes break down proteins. Its deamination reactions produce aldehydes, ammonia and organic acids that shape the flavour and aroma of the ripened cheese.

The mould-ripened cheeses named in the sources include Munster and Saint-Marcellin-type cheeses, and Camembert-type cheeses show extensive proteolysis at a surface with G. candidum. Excess growth can cause defects: on raw soft cheese, too much of it is linked to an unstable or slippery rind.

Uses beyond cheese

The 2023 review cited in the search results describes the species' biotechnological uses, including as a starter in the dairy industry and in brewing. Its industrial role in these fields is the subject of that review, and this page does not add process details the sources read did not establish.

Notes

The main sources for this page were read as search summaries and catalogue entries rather than full texts; the specific cheese claims need checking against the 2005 Boutrou and Guéguen review and the 2023 Foods review before a cheesemaking use is relied on. Strain identity matters: named culture products such as the C70 culture are separate records.