The 'Roquefort cheese' is ripened by growing a specific ______ on the…

The correct answer is Option (1) → Fungi

Option (1) Fungi — Correct. Each kind of cheese gets its texture, flavour and taste from the microbes used. Roquefort cheese is ripened by growing a specific fungus on it, which gives it its particular flavour.

Option (2) Yeast — Incorrect. Yeast is also a fungus, but it is used in other foods. Baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) ferments the dough for bread and is used to make alcoholic drinks.

Option (3) Bacterial — Incorrect. A bacterium is used for a different cheese. The large holes of Swiss cheese come from the carbon dioxide made by the bacterium Propionibacterium sharmanii.

Option (4) Algae — Incorrect. Algae are plant-like organisms that make their own food by photosynthesis. They are not used to ripen cheese.

Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2025 on 14-05-2025 (Slot 2).

NCERT Extract:
Microbes in Household Products – “… Cheese, is one of the oldest food items in which microbes were used. Different varieties of cheese are known by their characteristic texture, flavour and taste, the specificity coming from the microbes used. For example, the large holes in ‘Swiss cheese’ are due to production of a large amount of CO₂ by a bacterium named Propionibacterium sharmanii. The ‘Roquefort cheese’ are ripened by growing a specific fungi on them, which gives them a particular flavour.”