Roquefortine C in blue-veined and soft-ripened cheeses in the USA

Authors: Maragos, Chris

Submitted to: Food Additives & Contaminants
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/7/2021
Publication Date: 8/23/2021
Citation: Maragos, C.M. 2021. Roquefortine C in blue-veined and soft-ripened cheeses in the USA. Food Additives & Contaminants. 15(1):1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/19393210.2021.1967462.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19393210.2021.1967462

Interpretive Summary: Fungi are used to impart desirable flavors and textures to cheeses. However, certain fungi produce secondary metabolites toxic to animals, mycotoxins. Two groups of cheeses where fungi are used for ripening are the blue-veined cheeses and the “soft-ripened” cheeses. The presence of the mycotoxin roquefortine C (ROQC) in blue-veined cheeses has been reported previously, primarily in Europe. The extent to which ROQC occurs in cheeses sold in the United States has been largely unreported. An antibody-based screening assay was developed by an ARS scientist in Peoria, IL, and used to test for ROQC in 202 samples of cheeses sold in the U.S.A. Of the 152 blue cheese samples, 151 contained ROQC. The levels found were consistent with the levels found previously in blue-veined cheeses in the United Kingdom and Europe, which have generally been considered non-hazardous for human consumption.

Technical Abstract: Certain fungi can produce secondary metabolites that are toxic, mycotoxins. Two groups of cheeses where fungi are used for ripening are the blue-veined cheeses (Penicillium roqueforti) and the “soft-ripened” cheeses (P. camemberti). An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to screen for the mycotoxin roquefortine C (ROQC) in 202 samples of cheeses sold in the United States. Of these 152 were blue-veined cheeses, 46 were soft-ripened cheeses and 4 were other varieties of mould-ripened cheeses. ROQC was not detected in any of the soft-ripened cheeses, at a limit of detection of 1.8 µg/kg. ROQC was found in 151 of 152 blue-veined cheeses. The maximum level found was 6,630 µg/kg (median 903 µg/kg, average of positives 1430 µg/kg, limit of quantitation 6.9 µg/kg). These levels are consistent with the levels found previously in blue-veined cheeses in the United Kingdom and Europe, which have generally been considered non-hazardous for human consumption.