Geotrichum candidum is a fungus or mold that can act as a plant pathogen causing sour rot on peach, nectarine, tomato and carrot. It is also widely used in the production of many dairy products including many natural rind cheeses such as Camembert and other bloomy rind cheese, Saint-Nectaire, Tomme de Savoie, and many other cheeses made in those styles. It is also found in the Nordic dairy product viili and is responsible for the velvety surface of the product. One of the leading experts in how this mold affects cheeses during aging is Sister Noella Marcellino of the Abbey of Regina Laudis.
Scientific name :
Kingdom:
Fungi
Phylum:
Ascomycota
Class:
Saccharomycetes
Subclass:
Saccharomycetidae
Order:
Saccharomycetales
Family:
Endomycetaceae
Genus:
Geotrichum
Species:
G. candidum
Binomial name : Geotrichum candidum Link, 1809
A mycotic infection of man or animals caused by a number of hyaline (non-dematiaceous) hyphomycetes where the tissue morphology of the causative organism is mycelial. This separates it from phaeohyphomycosis where the causative agents are brown-pigmented fungi. Hyalohyphomycosis is a general term used to group together infections caused by unusual hyaline fungal pathogens that are not agents of otherwise-named infections; such as Aspergillosis. Etiological agents include species of Penicillium, Paecilomyces, Acremonium, Beauveria, Fusarium and Scopulariopsis.
