Rennet: Animal vs Microbial in Cheese

Rennet decides whether a cheese is vegetarian. Traditional rennet is extracted from the stomachs of slaughtered calves; microbial coagulants and fermentation-produced chymosin (FPC) do the same job with no slaughter. The finished cheese label often says only enzymes or rennet, so vegetarian certification traces the coagulant to its source for every cheese and whey ingredient.