Actually, most cheesemakers in the US don’t use natural rennet anymore. There isn’t enough demand for veal for the amount that they would need. They now use FPC, Fermentation Produced Chymosin. This is produced by several strains of yeast and microbes that have had the chymosin coding gene inserted into them.So your cheese-eating choice is either Calves’ stomach extract, or Legally Exempted From GMO Labeling GMO Products.http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2015/05/15/cheese-gmo-food-die-hard-gmo-opponents-love-and-oppose-a-label-for/
Following up the note from NebulousRikulau…I’ve heard that over 90% of cheese is now made using chymosin. Only a few specialty/artisanal cheeses (ie, relatively low-volume production) still use animal-based rennet. The use of genetically engineered micro-organisms is very widespread in food and pharmaceutical industry for everything from processing enzymes and fermentation agents (think bread and wine) to insulin (humulin). The European GMO labelling regulations cleverly exempt these latter uses from their labelling requirements lest folks come to realize the technology isn’t really so scary after all (ie, familiarity breeds complacency/acceptance).
Actually, if your main reason for being vegetarian is to cut down on animal abuse, you shouldn’t eat any dairy products at all. Cows don’t give milk unless they’re pregnant, so dairy cows have to be kept pregnant 100% of the time. Half of the calves born are males. You can keep a few for future studs, but the rest have to be killed, and there’s no care taken to make sure the milking machines don’t hurt.
Females too old to give any more milk are also killed. Basically, you can’t run a dairy industry without also running a veal and beef industry. Even the calves that are kept are often treated very inhumanely. Most of the calves are taken from their mothers at birth.
All that said, I’m not a vegan, but I do have my eyes open about how cruelly we treat our food animals. It does concern me.
“How It’s Made” is one of the shows that I leave on the screen with the sound off when I’m doing something on the computer. I avoid the first part where they show what items are on the show, then I try to guess what it is as it’s going through the different stages of manufacture.
Liverlips McCracken Premium Member over 9 years ago
Yeah, who is he? He looks vaguely like Fungo, but Fungo doesn’t speak. Are they related?
Randallw over 9 years ago
I think he’s Satchel’s trainer.
AGED_ENGINEER Premium Member over 9 years ago
He may be a border collie. Note the USA Herding on his cap.
Nebulous Premium Member over 9 years ago
Actually, most cheesemakers in the US don’t use natural rennet anymore. There isn’t enough demand for veal for the amount that they would need. They now use FPC, Fermentation Produced Chymosin. This is produced by several strains of yeast and microbes that have had the chymosin coding gene inserted into them.So your cheese-eating choice is either Calves’ stomach extract, or Legally Exempted From GMO Labeling GMO Products.http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2015/05/15/cheese-gmo-food-die-hard-gmo-opponents-love-and-oppose-a-label-for/
steve7701 Premium Member over 9 years ago
A cheddar cheese sandwich? That’s really going to convert lots of people to vegetarianism. Sorry but that makes me crave a hamburger.
rdmacgregor over 9 years ago
Following up the note from NebulousRikulau…I’ve heard that over 90% of cheese is now made using chymosin. Only a few specialty/artisanal cheeses (ie, relatively low-volume production) still use animal-based rennet. The use of genetically engineered micro-organisms is very widespread in food and pharmaceutical industry for everything from processing enzymes and fermentation agents (think bread and wine) to insulin (humulin). The European GMO labelling regulations cleverly exempt these latter uses from their labelling requirements lest folks come to realize the technology isn’t really so scary after all (ie, familiarity breeds complacency/acceptance).
tcar-1 over 9 years ago
The hat says “USA HERDING” does that mean anything for real? I did a ‘Google’ but didn’t come up with much.
SallyLin over 9 years ago
You can get lots of clips on the yootoob.
SwimsWithSharks over 9 years ago
I’ll file this in my folder titled “There’s always someone more vegan than you”.
belgarathmth over 9 years ago
Actually, if your main reason for being vegetarian is to cut down on animal abuse, you shouldn’t eat any dairy products at all. Cows don’t give milk unless they’re pregnant, so dairy cows have to be kept pregnant 100% of the time. Half of the calves born are males. You can keep a few for future studs, but the rest have to be killed, and there’s no care taken to make sure the milking machines don’t hurt.
Females too old to give any more milk are also killed. Basically, you can’t run a dairy industry without also running a veal and beef industry. Even the calves that are kept are often treated very inhumanely. Most of the calves are taken from their mothers at birth.
All that said, I’m not a vegan, but I do have my eyes open about how cruelly we treat our food animals. It does concern me.ChessPirate over 9 years ago
“How It’s Made” is one of the shows that I leave on the screen with the sound off when I’m doing something on the computer. I avoid the first part where they show what items are on the show, then I try to guess what it is as it’s going through the different stages of manufacture.
lmonteros over 9 years ago
I read that most cheese today is made with synthetic rennet—no calves harmed in this. Not enough real rennet. Labels don’t say, though.
abbybookcase over 9 years ago
kosher cheese. problem solved. no meat byproducts
nathanbtlr over 9 years ago
That’s as civilized as Bucky gets!
dadoctah over 9 years ago
You are what you eat.Cows eat grass.Therefore, cows are plants.Therefore, if I eat beef, I am a vegetarian.
jnnydnti over 9 years ago
Don’t worry, you can get rennet produced by genetically-engineered bacteria.
Unless you’re paranoid about GMOs. Then, baby cow stomach for you, or no cheese.