Which types of cheese contain rennet?!
Which types of cheese contain rennet?
I've just become a vegetarian and I know that rennet comes from the lining of cow's stomachs. I've heard that it is in some types of cheese. Are there any specific types I should steer clear from?
Answers:
I have been a vegetarian for almost a year and this is a very tough subject. Especially if you love cheese. Girl9 is wrong. Not all real cheese contains animal rennet.
I've started buying Cabot block cheeses. They have many different varieties to choose from and they state on their packaging that their cheese does NOT contain animal rennet. I've also contacted them via email to find out where they get their milk from. They wrote back to me in a very timely manner and assured me that they only get their milk from family farms where the cows have access to pasture and are able to roam free. This is a great option of cheeses for vegetarians as it does not contain animal rennet, contains milk from only family farms where the cows are treated humanely, and it is very reasonably priced. It is also very delicious. I am sure you will be able to find this cheese at your local supermarket and Super Walmart also carries this brand. You can also check out their web site at www.cabotcheese.com.
Pouncer2000 is also wrong. None of Cabot's cheese contains animal rennet. You can check out their FAQ page under "Cabot Products and Your Diet". I hope this helps. Have a great day!!
Kirstie
Source(s):
http://www.cabotcheese.com/
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/cheese.html...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/rennet...
Rennet is the setting agent in hard cheeses like cheddar, edam, parmesan. It's not usually in soft cheeses like cream cheese, cottage cheese and cheese spreads. The only real way to tell is to check the labels to see if it's marked as vegetarian or check the websites of supermarkets or contact the companies direct to ask.
It's actually just a natural enzyme in the cow's stomach not the actual lining. but all types of cheese (real cheese) contain rennet. So if you are a vegan you should stick with soy cheese and tofu cheese. I have tried most of the brands and they taste pretty good, even on crackers!
Good luck :-)
most hard cheeses
Here's a list from http://www.natural-connection.com/resour...
on VEGETARIAN CHEESES and who makes them.
Bresse Bleu Montrachet. Bresse Bleu Inc., N. 2002 Hwy 26,Watertown, WI 53094, (414) 261-3036. The Montrachet varieties are their only products which are vegetarian.
Cabot Monterey Jack and Vitalait Cheese. Cabot Creamery,PO Box 128, Cabot, VT 05647, (802) 563-2231. These products use microbial systems. Their cheddar uses rennet.
Coach Farm Goat's Milk Cheeses. The Coach Farm, RR1 Box 445, Pine Plains, NY 12567, (518) 398-5325. All of their cheese products are vegetarian, without preservatives.
Falbo Cheese. Falbo Cheese, 1931 N. 15th Ave., Melrose Park, IL 60160, 800-982-0753. They carry a wide variety of Italian cheeses, all of which use only microbial systems and are therefore vegetarian. Available in grocery stores.
Fleur de Lait Neufchatel Cheese with Garden Vegetables, and Neufchatel Cheese with Herb and Spice. Fleur de Lait Foods,Ltd., 254 Custer Ave., New Holland, PA 17557. We have determined these two varieties of Fleur de Lait cheeses to be vegetarian from reading their labels.
Kraft Domestic Swiss and Kraft Neufchatel Cheese. Kraft General Foods, Kraft Court, Glenview, IL 60025. These are their only two products that are vegetarian.
Lifetime Natural and Lifetime Fat Free Cheeses. Lifeline Food Co., Inc., 426 Orange St., Seaside, CA 93955, (408) 899-5040. All their products use only microbial enzymes.
Morningland Dairy Organic Raw Milk Natural Cheeses.Morningland Dairy, Rt. 1, Box 188B, Mountain View, MO 65548,(417) 469-3817. All of their 13 varieties of cheeses are vegetarian, organic and contain no artificial colors. Mail order.
Mozzarella Company Caciotas, Montasio and Pecorino. Mozzarella Company, 2944 Elm St, Dallas, TX 75226, (214) 741-4072. These are their varieties which contain no animal rennet. Cow's milk and goat's milk cheeses available.
Organic Valley Farms Organic Cheeses. Organic Valley, Main St.,PO Box 159, La Farge, WI 54639, (608) 625-2602. Organic Valley offers both raw milk and regular cheeses, all of which are vegetarian and organic.
Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese. Kraft General Foods, Kraft Court,Glenview, IL 60025.
Pollio Mozzarella and Pollio Ricotta Cheese. Pollio Dairy Products Corporation, 120 Mineola Blvd.,Mineola, NY 11501, (516) 741-8000. These are probably available in regular grocery stores.
Shalom Farms Organic Cheese. Shalom Farms,RD 1, Box 1628A, Bethel, PA 19507, (717)933-4880. All their cheeses are vegetarian. Raw milk and regular cheese.
Tillamook Cheese (except for the Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese). Tillamook County Creamery Association, PO Box 313, Tillamook, OR 97141. All Cheddar (Medium, Sharp, Special Reserve Extra Sharp, Kosher/Vegetarian, Smoked and Reduced-Fat), Colby, Colby-Jack, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, Pepper-Jack, Reduced-Fat Monterey Jack, Shred Blends and Swiss cheeses use microbial rennet.. [updated 6/4/2005 by The Natural Connection]
Walnut Acres Cheeses (except for Baby Swiss). Walnut Acres,Walnut Acres Rd, Penns Creek, PA 17862, 800-433-3998 to place an order, 800-344-9025 for a catalog. Walnut Acres is an organic farm which has a wide variety of both cow's milk and goat's milk cheeses available by mail order. The Baby Swiss variety is being discontinued.
SOY CHEESE/CHEESE ALTERNATIVES
All soy cheeses are vegetarian. Some do contain calciumcasienate or "casein", which is a milk derivative. It is a protein which is the ingredient that enables soy cheese to melt like regular cheese. A few pure vegetarian (vegan) cheeses do exist, but are less similar to regular cheese in texture, and they do not melt quite the same. The vegan cheeses are also listedbelow and are marked with an asterisk (*).
*Better Than Cream Cheese. Tofutti Brands, Inc., 5- Jackson Dr., Cranford, NJ 07016, (201) 272-2400. Vegan.
*Mrs. Margareten's Parvemage. Margareten Enterprises, 2900 Review Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101. They carry one of the few lines of vegan soy cheese. Various flavors are available including cream cheese and sour cream.
NuTofu. Cemac Foods Corp, 1821 E. Sedgley Ave, Philadelphia,PA 19124, 800-724-0179. NuTofu sliced soy cheeses, alternative cheese spreads, cream cheese and dips.
Soy A Melt. White Wave Soyfoods Inc., 6123 Arapahoe Rd, Boulder,CO 80303, (303) 443-3470. They offer a wide variety of soy cheeses made with organic tofu.
Soya Kaas. American Natural Snacks, PO box 1067, St. Augustine,FL 32085, (904) 825-2057. These soy cheeses are available in a variety of flavors.
Soyco. Soyco Foods, PO Box 5204, New Castle, PA 16105,800-441-9419, (412) 656-1102. Mail order is available through Joanne's Selections, 800-874-7952. This is a line of soy cheese that comes in various flavors and includes parmesan,sour cream and cream cheeses.
*Soymage. Soyco Foods, PO Box 5204, New Castle, PA 16105,800-441-9419, (412) 656-1102. Mail order is available through Joanne's Selections, 800-874-7952. Soymage vegan cheese substitute in various flavors and vegan sour cream.
Tofu-Rella. Sharon's Finest, P.O. Box 5020,Santa Rosa, CA 95402, (707) 576-7050. Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Jalapeno Jack,Mozzarella, and Garlic-Herb soy cheeses.
CHEESES CONTAINING RENNET
Blue Castello, Blue Note. Tholstrup Cheese USAInc., 1 Mountain Blvd., P.O. Box 4194, Warren,NJ 07059-0194, (201) 756-6320. These varieties contain rennet.
Bresse-Bleu Brie and Bresse-Bleu Bleu Cheeses. These contain rennet. Address listed above.
Cabot Cheddar Cheese. Cabot Creamery,previously listed. Only the cheddar cheese uses rennet. The Monterey Jack and Vitalait use microbial enzymes.
Dorman-Roth Foods. Dorman-Roth Foods, 14 Empire Blvd., Moonachie, NJ 07074, (201)440-3600. From their letter, "We are unable to state with certainty that any particular cheese does not contain animal enzymes."
Fleur de Lait. We did not receive a response from Fleur de Lait, but from reading labels determined that the two cheeses mentioned above are vegetarian. We are assuming that the rest of their products contain animal enzymes.
Kraft Cheese Products. Most Kraft cheeses may contain rennet. Exceptions and address listed under vegetarian cheese section.
Land O'Lakes Cheeses. Land O'Lakes Inc., P.O.Box 116, Minneapolis, MN 55440, (800)328-4155. `We can not guarantee that any of our cheeses do not contain rennet.'
Maytag Blue Cheese. Maytag Dairy Farms, Box 806, Newtown, IA 50208, (800) 247-2458,(515) 792-1133. All of the Maytag cheeses contain rennet.
Mozzarella Company. Most of their products contain rennet. Those which don't are listed under the vegetarian cheese section. Address previously listed.
Pollio Cheese Products. Except for those mentioned above, their products contain animal enzymes.
Saga Soft Ripened Cheeses. Tholstrup Cheese USA Inc., 1 Mountain Blvd., P.O. Box 4194,Warren, NJ 07060-0194, (201) 756-6320. All of the Saga varieties contain rennet.
Tolko Specialty Cheeses. Tholstrup Cheese, 1Mtn. Blvd., Box 4194, Warren, NJ 07060-0194,(201) 756-6320. Imported cheeses fromDenmark, all of which contain rennet.
Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese. These contain animal rennet. Address previously listed. [updated 6/4/2005 by The Natural Connection]
Also try http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~veggie/nonveg/c... for another list
Most organic cheeses are rennet-free. I know Annie's Organic products are rennet free and so is Horizon cheese. Amy's Organic products also contain rennet-free cheese as well as being free of eggs. Amy's also offers a great line of products with soy cheese.
In Australia there are a few brands still left that don't contain Rennet. " Perfect Italiano Mozarella" lists their ingredients containing (enzyme as non-animal rennet (coagulant) and "Mainland Vegetarian Edam". I'm not too sure about other countries. I spend alot of time in the fridge section trying to find a cheese that doesn't contain rennet. So keep an eye out for that on the list of ingredients. good luck and dont give up it's a worthy cause !