
FUNGI IN CHEESE RIPENING. Tha 
relationship. It will be sufficient to describe here the fungus 
and to give figures to assist in its recognition. Its relations to 
the problems of cheese ripening have already been indicated. 
SUMMARY OF THE RELATIONS OF FUNGI TO CHEESE RIPEN- 
ING AS SHOWN IN THIS PAPER. 
I. Camembert Cheese.—The acidity of the curd resulting 
from the action of lactic organisms reduces where it does not 
entirely eliminate the growth of objectionable bacteria. 
2. Many species of dairy fungi exert in the course of their 
development the power of changing this reaction to alkaline. 
The Camembert Penicillium and Oidium lactis possess this 
power but not in greater degree than many other species. 
3. Many species of fungi produce proteolytic changes in 
curd to a greater or less extent. 
4. The chemical changes in the ripening of curd by fungi 
are due in the cases studied to the production of enzymes. 
5. The texture, appearance and flavor of curd acted upon 
by such fungi are different for different species. 
6. The Camembert Penicillium (P. Camemberti) is the only 
species so far studied with which the particular appearance 
and texture sought in the ripened Camembert can be produced 
from curd soured by lactic bacteria, without producing any 
objectionable flavor. 
7. Oidium lactis is always found upon Camembert cheese 
and so closely associated with the presence of the flavor as to 
suggest its agency in flavor production though only circum- 
stantial proof of such a function has been possible thus far. 
The participation of bacteria in flavor production is not ex- 
cluded by these results. 
8. Other species of fungi have been shown to produce vari- 
ations in this flavor such as have been often found in certain 
market cheeses. In this way it is possible to look for the cause 
of differences in flavor in contamination of the cultures upon 
the cheeses. This points toward the use of pure cultures for 
inoculation with the addition of special organisms if certain 
variations from what we have regarded as typical flavor are 
found to be of value in the market, rather than dependence 
upon accidental occurrence of the desired species in the factory. 
