The Roquefort cheese are ripened by growing a specific ______ on them…

The correct answer is Option (2) → Fungus

Microbes give cheese its particular texture, taste and flavour. The large holes of Swiss cheese come from CO₂ made by the bacterium Propionibacterium sharmanii. Roquefort cheese is ripened by growing a specific fungus on it.

Option (2) Fungus — Correct. Roquefort cheese is ripened by growing a specific fungus on it, which gives it a particular flavour. Swiss cheese, in contrast, gets its large holes from CO₂ made by a bacterium.

Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2025 on 03-06-2025 (Slot 1).

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.”