Cheese

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone -

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but we're at the beginning of a new year and we

have new

members who may be new to vegetarianism. So here's aunty's word of caution:

 

Remember, not all cheeses are vegetarian - they are a milk product, but other

ingredients

which go into the making of the cheese have traditiionally been from dead-animal

sources.

 

Especially problematic for all vegetarians is rennet in cheese. Rennet (from a

calf's

stomach usually) has the enzyme rennin, considered necessary by many cheese

makers for

a good cheese. Some cheese makers now use a vegetable source, but many

traditional,

old-time cheese makers and connoisseurs insist that rennet makes a cheese of

better

flavour and consistency.

 

For a (no doubt partial) list of cheeses made without extracts from parts of

dead animals,

see the following:

 

http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~veggie/nonveg/cheese.html

 

They note: " Remember to check the ingredient list of the cheese if you're not

sure. Look

out for rennet or enzymes. Many packaged cheeses and other foods contain Vitamin

A

Palmitate, which is made from fish gelatin. Also, check for whey, since this is

a byproduct

of the cheese-making process " [and may therefore be non-vegetarian].

 

For more info on Rennet (for those who are new to vegetarianism and don't know)

see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rennet

 

For lists of animal products in foods, see:

http://www.cyberparent.com/eat/hiddenanimalsinfood.htm

 

http://www.happycow.net/health-animal-ingredients.html

 

There are lots of other sites - some in our Links folder - for animal-free foods

and

warnings about hidden animal products. It's not difficult to find out what we

need in order

to keep to our vegetarian (or vegan) lifestyle. Finding the right product,

however, can be

quite another matter, eh?

 

Love and hugs, Pat