A decline in the strains of fungus that give certain cheeses their unique taste, smell, color, and texture, could potentially lead to the extinction of brie and Camembert cheeses, according to the National Centre for Scientific Research, France’s state-run science agency.
Even blue cheeses are under threat of "disappearing," according to the research center. “Blue cheeses may be under threat, but the situation is much worse for Camembert, which is already on the verge of extinction,” it wrote in a memo.
Many cheesemakers fail to believe that the issue is truly dire, but they have acknowledged that producing cheeses like Camembert is becoming more challenging. Scientists call the fungi’s role in cheesemaking “delicious rot,” saying that it’s a critical part of the process of making a Camembert cheese.
Scientists have already started working to restore some of the genetic diversity to the fungi. Lactalis, which is the world’s largest dairy company and maker of the popular President Camembert cheese in France, expressed that it is “not worried about the future of our products.”
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People hopped to the comments section of the Instagram post to leave their well-intended puns.
"Well that’s not Gouda news," one person joked.
"You can’t Brie serious right now!?!?" another person quipped.
Among other comments were: "This is un-brie-lievable ," and "All that will be left is debrie."
