Why are some cheeses labeled as "vegetarian cheese"?

Question

Why wouldn't cheese be vegetarian? What is rennet?

Answer 1

Cheeses labeled as "vegetarian" don't contain animal rennet. Animal rennet is an enzyme that's used to coagulate milk as part of the typical cheese-making process. Animal rennet is derived from the fourth stomach of slaughtered calves (or goats or camels), so it is not a vegetarian food. Milk is considered a vegetarian food (though it's not vegan), so cheese made with a rennet substitute (such as fig tree bark or thistles) or vegetable rennet (derived from the mold Mucor miehei) is likewise considered a vegetarian food.

Answer 2

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Many cheeses contain animal rennet, which is an enzyme often made from the stomach of calves and lambs. For example, some cheddar and traditional parmesan cheeses contain animal rennet.
However, rennet is also obtained from vegetables, such as cardoons. In the UK more cheddar cheeses are being made using vegetable derived rennet (but check the labelling to make sure). There is absolutely no difference in the taste between cheeses that are made with either animal or vegetable rennet. Animal rennet is a cheap by-product of animal slaughter.
The other thing to watch out with cheeses is if "pepsin" has been used in the making process. Pepsin is an enzyme from the stomach lining of pigs and is also used in preparation of some other foods containing protein. The problem is that "pepsin" may not show up on a cheese ingredients listing, even if the cheese doesn't contain rennet.
ALWAYS look on the label when buying cheese to make sure it's suitable for veggies. Remember, if you eat cheeses that contain dead animals you are NOT vegetarian.

Answer 3

Cheese wouldn't be vegetarian to begin with because of the fact that it probably would originally come from a cow or other lactating animal. Most vegetarians won't consume that either. Here's a great link that'll tell you more in-depth why it's not vegetarian to begin with and also the difference between rennet and rennin.

http://www.naturalconnection.com/resource/tnc_reference_library/cheese.html

Answer 4

I believe that "true vegetarians" do not eat any thing made from an animal or an animal by product.
Cows=beef, milk
Pigs=pork
Chickens=chicken meat, eggs
And so on. My guess would be that the "cheese" was made without milk. Like maybe a soy cheese.

I think those that eat only that which grows out of the ground or it's by product are now called "Vegans."

Answer 5

Cheese is often made with rennet or rennin, which is used to coagulate the dairy product. According to the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, rennin, which is an enzyme used in coagulating cheese, is obtained from milk-fed calves. "After butchering, the fourth stomach...is removed and freed of its food content." After this the stomach goes through
several steps including being dry-salted, washed, scraped to remove surface fat, stretched onto racks where moisture is removed, then finally ground and mixed with a salt solution until the rennin is extracted. There are some cheeses that are made with vegetable, fungal, or microbial enzymes.

Answer 6

Cheese is not vegetarian because it is made from the milk of an animal. Soy cheese would probably be considered vegetarian. I'm not sure of any others as I am a carnivore! More specifically, an omnivore.

Answer 7

Vegans are vegetarians who also don't eat or drink any dairy products. Although it is not meat it is an animal product. I assume the "vegetarian cheese" is not made from real milk. Which probably does not taste good, like some sliced cheese that is made from more oil than milk, tastes awful.

Answer 8

Maybe the milk comes from soy cows.. lol

Answer 9

They are made from soy, not cow or goat milk.

Answer 10

probably because they have veggies in them