Is vegetarianism compatible with eating cheese? The decision to eat or not eat this and other types of animal foods is more than legitimate. And, yes, in some cases there is no problem with a vegetarian eating cheese. Here we address this question.
Cheese is an old acquaintance on our table. Its exact origins are unknown, although they are estimated to date back to between 8,000 and 3,000 BC and it was more similar to cottage cheese and curdled milk. Today, and only in Spain, more than 150 types of cheese are produced, with some 26 designations of origin. But, let’s not stray from the question, is it suitable for vegetarians?
Can I eat cheese if I am vegetarian?
In a very brief summary, a vegetarian, depending on his or her preference, could consume cheese (there is lacto-ovo vegetarianism or lacto-vegetarianism) even if he or she excludes other animal products. Vegetarianism is a dietary and ethical choice that excludes certain animal products from the diet. There are many vegetarian options, from the strictest to the most lax. An important detail to keep in mind: although they have a lot in common, veganism and vegetarianism are not the same.
And can a vegetarian eat all types of cheese? This is more complicated. The short answer is no, as we will see later. But let’s expand the information a little more. Cheese is made from the milk obtained by milking cows of various breeds, sheep, goats, camels, and buffalos – female ruminants – on dairy farms of various sizes. This is achieved, a priori, without causing suffering or harm to the animal, so it is suitable for vegetarians who only avoid products derived from the death of the same.
Cheese is made by curdling milk and separating it from the whey, the liquid fraction that remains. Its many varieties are distinguished by the type used, how it is prepared, and the time spent maturing it. However, what those who follow lacto-vegetarianism and other more permissive nutritional options in this area should pay attention to is the specific rennet used to make the cheese.
Types of cheese rennet
Any vegetarian who does not have any problems eating dairy products can enjoy a good wedge of cheese, or use it as an ingredient in their daily meals if the particular variety in question has not been made with traditional rennet. Rennet is a substance that is used to coagulate milk. This substance can be made up of enzymes that serve to separate casein and whey. But it can also have another nature, and this is where its importance lies.
Traditional rennet is extracted from the stomach mucosa of suckling calves of certain ruminants, usually calves. As it is obtained from the last cavity of the intestine, the abomasum, its extraction involves slaughtering the animals. So, if an animal has to be slaughtered, cheese is excluded from the vegetarian diet, right? It is not that simple, as there are other acceptable and desirable alternatives.
In order for cheese to set, we have to use chymosin, which separates casein, the protein associated with calcium, and whey. If we do not have chymosin, which comes from the abomasum, we have to find an alternative. Except for fresh cheeses coagulated with acidifying agents such as vinegar or lemon (which do not act enzymatically, but by denaturing the protein due to a change in pH), there are three other acceptable alternatives for obtaining cheese.
Vegetable rennet
Vegetable rennet can be found in the stems, stamens, and flowers of plants with coagulating properties such as artichoke, thistle, nettle, burdock, fig tree or, of course, the significantly named rennet, also known as galio, presera or sanjuanera. This method can also be considered traditional and has been used for millennia to curdle cheese.
Microbial rennet
For microbial rennet, enzymes from microorganisms whose consumption is authorized by the food authorities are synthesized in the laboratory, a cocktail of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi such as Rhizomucor miehei. It is an efficient and effective method, as well as cheap. It can have very similar results to those of traditional rennet obtained from the stomach of ruminants, making it a very interesting alternative and suitable for vegetarians.
Genetic (synthetic) rennet
Finally, genetic rennet is also achieved by synthesis, inserting a gene that encodes chymosin; easily, on a large scale. As in the microbial case, bioreactors are used here to obtain the substance, which in this case is chymosin and other enzymes prepared in designer organisms. Again, no type of animal is used for its composition.
Which cheeses are suitable for vegetarians and which are not?
As seen, the determining factor for a lacto-vegetarian not to decline to try any cheese is that the rennet is of vegetal, microbial or genetic origin and that, consequently, no animal has suffered in any way in order to be able to use it.
Among them, thanks to today’s technological possibilities, there are several types that are known in the general market, from cheddar, mozzarella, and some manchego cheeses to blue cheese, gouda, brie, feta, and others. But you have to make sure that they have been processed as appropriate in this matter. Like kosher and halal, invariably.
Unfortunately, not all of the millions of types that exist are produced using these types of rennet suitable for vegetarians, although thanks to biotechnology, we are getting closer to that every day. Thus, as we are explaining, all those cheeses that are made with traditional rennet, from the entrails of lactating ruminants, are not suitable for vegetarians, while those that use vegetable, microbial or synthetic rennet are.
How to know if a cheese is vegetarian
The secret is in the product label. We should always check or find out about the methods used to produce the product on the company’s website if it is not indicated. However, generally, if the packaging itself states that an indeterminate rennet has been used or that the traditional recipe has been followed, we can assume that it is not suitable for vegetarians of any kind.
On the other hand, the most mature cheeses among the cured ones should also be excluded, as well as those from the Italian town of Parma, the authentic parmesan, whose designation of origin requires calf rennet. Another singular example: according to Order APA/3273/2007, with the specifications of the Protected Designation of Origin “Queso Manchego”, this cheese could use another type of enzymes suitable for vegetarians, contrary to what happens with parmesan. In short, more and more cheeses include a respectful option for this group, expanding their market, but it is essential to pay close attention to their preparation.
What is vegan cheese?
Technically speaking, vegan cheeses are not cheeses, but products derived from vegetable drinks and coagulations of these products that try to find a similar texture, palatability, and other organoleptic issues, but that will never contain any ingredient or process related to the animal product.
While Lacto-vegetarians do agree with dairy products, the ethical positioning and characteristic lifestyle of vegans do not allow it: everything that comes from industries that use animals to manufacture what they sell, from food to clothing, medicines, and even makeup, is ruled out.
So milk from cows, sheep, goats, and others and what is made from them cannot be exempt from being listed as forbidden foods for them, regardless of the specific rennet with which it is coagulated and dispensing with the stomachic rennet in any case.
Only cheeses made from plant-based substances such as soy, walnuts, almonds or cashews make the cut; and the effect that mimics dairy products is achieved with thickeners such as the polysaccharide agar-agar, tapioca or the hydrocolloid carrageenan, the culture of lactic bacteria, nutritional yeast, and other ingredients to give them a certain flavour, such as spices.