Use of Penicillium roqueforti in plant-based veined-blue cheese: A source of mycotoxin hazards?

While the consumer demand for plant-based cheese is increasingly growing, there is insufficient knowledge to allow anticipating potential hazards related to mycotoxins in these new products and notably in plant-based blue veined cheese inoculated with Penicillium roqueforti . Actually plant-based matrices, characterized by a higher C/N ratio than dairy milk, are likely to promote the yield of mycotoxins by P. roqueforti . This study aims to provide first scientific insights to fulfill this gap of knowledge. As a first step, the capacity of 15 P. roqueforti strains belonging to the Roquefort and Non-Roquefort populations to yield mycotoxins was assessed. The medium used allowed to evidence a significant higher production of roquefortine C and a lower yield of andrastin A by strains of the Non-Roquefort group compared to those of the Roquefort one. In a second step a microbiological challenge testing approach was implemented using five matrices of plant (almond, cashew and soy) and animal (cow and sheep) origin. Results suggested that animal matrices were more prone to contamination with andrastin A while cashew and soy matrices promoted the yield of roquefortine C and mycophenolic acid, and in a less extent of fumigaclavin A. Besides, while warning on the mycotoxin risk associated with some plant matrices, our results also evidenced that the risk was strongly dependent on choice of the combination P. roqueforti strain/matrix. • Occurrence of mycotoxins in plant-based cheese must not be overlooked. • P. roqueforti of the R group yield the highest levels of roquefortine C in CDNY. • P. roqueforti of the NR group yield the highest levels of andrastin A in CDNY. • Cashew and soy matrices promote the yield of roquefortine C and mycophenolic acid. • Mycotoxins in fermented plant milk vary depending on the P. roqueforti starter strain.