Social media users are shocked after discovering that Parmesan cheese is NOT vegetarian. Parmesan cheese isn't vegetarian due to the use of an ingredient derived from the organ of a baby cow.
Many people are admitting that they were unaware of this fact until today, learning about the presence of 'rennet' in this iconic cheese. Rennet is produced by enzymes in the lining of calves' stomachs.
According to the animal welfare organization PETA, numerous brands, particularly in the United States, have transitioned to using vegetable rennet instead. Nonetheless, the revelation has left Twitter users in a state of shock.
According to the cooking site Kitchn, the traditional preparation of Parmesan, or Parmigiano Reggiano, a beloved cheese in its origin country of Italy, traditionally uses just three ingredients.
It's important to note that Parmigiano Reggiano holds the designation of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheese. This means that strict procedures and testing must be adhered to before it can carry the name
Culture Cheese Magazine provides an explanation that animal rennet is derived from the stomach of a calf (or another young animal) through a process that involves the animal being slaughtered, and its stomach is subsequently dried until it solidifies.
Depending on the scale of production and location, the next steps generally include cutting the dried organ into pieces and preserving it. When the time comes to use this ingredient, the rennet is rehydrated with water, and this resulting solution is then added to milk.
Twitter users were deeply shocked upon discovering the origins of the ingredient.
One person said: A lot of old-origin cheeses use animal rennet, factory-made cheese uses something man-made and not as good.
A second wrote: Why would you not educate yourself when becoming vege/vegan? This has been my bugbear for decades. As a vegetarian, I get sick of seeing vegetarian dishes on menus or products in the supermarket labeled as Vegetarian when they have Parmesan in/on them. If the label says Parmesan then it is NEVER vegetarian because it has special protection as a product. Major supermarkets sell various brands of Italian hard cheese. But don't eat that sawdust in cartons!
A third commented: Ever since humans started to make cheese they have been using rennet from calf intestines to curdle the casein in cheesemaking. Today vegetable rennet extracts are also used in cheese production but this is not suitable for some cheeses so the traditional ways of production are maintained. And long may they do so.
Someone else said: I wonder how many vegetarians and vegans bother to check how their wine has been made. Pork, Beef, and Fish gelatine are often used to clear the wine as well as eggs and milk. Not legally required to be declared on the label.
Another added: I'M VEGETARIAN but I eat dairy and wild seafood. There are lots of types of vegetarianism. If you're curious enough or paid attention at school, you know cheese-making uses mostly animal rennet. But more and more cheese companies use also MICROBIOLOGICAL RENNET produced from yeast or fungi. Read labels, then.
