This came up on another thread, and I wanted to mention it separately, as it it doesn't seem to be well known.
Most cheese sold in North America is no longer made with animal rennet (from a calf's stomach)... nor with the vegetable rennet that was originally used in "vegetarian" cheese... nor even with the laboratory-made microbial rennet derived from fungus that was more recently in use. Instead, the vast majority is now coagulated with a genetically modified product, FPC, or Fermentation Produced Chymosin. FPC is made by taking the rennin-producing enzyme from animal DNA, and putting it into a bacteria, yeast, or mold, so that it will produce the enzyme.
http://www.fifthtown.ca/artisan_chee...g_your_rennet/
AFAIK, if the label says "animal rennet," it should be the traditional kind. (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong!) If it says "enzymes" or just "rennet," it's very likely made with FPC, unless you have clear information telling you otherwise.
Even though FPC is illegal in Europe, the article says that European manufacturers do use it in cheeses intended for export to North America. Still, some imported cheeses do list "animal rennet," as do some domestic artisan cheeses. I've had pretty good luck finding them at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and even Costco, but it's slim pickings at the supermarket.
Most cheese sold in North America is no longer made with animal rennet (from a calf's stomach)... nor with the vegetable rennet that was originally used in "vegetarian" cheese... nor even with the laboratory-made microbial rennet derived from fungus that was more recently in use. Instead, the vast majority is now coagulated with a genetically modified product, FPC, or Fermentation Produced Chymosin. FPC is made by taking the rennin-producing enzyme from animal DNA, and putting it into a bacteria, yeast, or mold, so that it will produce the enzyme.
http://www.fifthtown.ca/artisan_chee...g_your_rennet/
AFAIK, if the label says "animal rennet," it should be the traditional kind. (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong!) If it says "enzymes" or just "rennet," it's very likely made with FPC, unless you have clear information telling you otherwise.
Even though FPC is illegal in Europe, the article says that European manufacturers do use it in cheeses intended for export to North America. Still, some imported cheeses do list "animal rennet," as do some domestic artisan cheeses. I've had pretty good luck finding them at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and even Costco, but it's slim pickings at the supermarket.
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