animal renet in cheese?

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna!

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada! I offer my humble obeisances unto him!

 

I love pizza and i just discovered that cheese has animal renett in it and so was wondering if there is any cheese product that does not have animal renett.

 

Please, someone, if you know, list the cheese variety(brand) that does not have animal renett in it.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Haribol!

 

anand

[Guest guest]

Yes, cheese contains calf rennet. But now most of the leading cheese manufacturers are making cheese with microbial rennet. You have to read the ingredients carefully and make the decision to buy or not. I stay safe, i don't buy cheese ............ but take only cottage cheese (paneer)

 

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna!

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada! I offer my humble obeisance unto him!

 

I did some research on the internet and found some stuff useful for strict vegetarians!

 

The list below in bold are always animal derived. The others may or may not be. When in doubt, feel free to call or write the manufacturer.

 

These ingredients commonly occur in bread, cheese, peanut butter, cookies, and various other packaged food items.

• Enzymes

• Gelatin

• Rennet

• Glycerin

• Diglycerides

• Monoglycerides

• *glycer* (anything with this root)

• Lecithin

• Emulsifiers

• Stearic Acid

• *stear* (anything with this root)

• stearoyl lactates

• Dough Conditioners

• Shortening

• Stabilizers

• Calcium Phosphate

• Lactic Acid

• Pepsin

• Whey

 

Haribol!

 

anand

 

[Guest guest]

I had a look on the internet and found this info -

 

Lecithin is a component of a number of foods, and it is widely attributed with certain positive effects on one's health.

Lecithin that is sold as supplement has usually been extracted from soy beans. Another prime source of lecithin is egg yolk. Choline is manufactured by the body from the amino acid glycine.

 

Diglycerides: Diglycerides consist of three parts: a “backbone” called glycerin plus two “fatty acid tails” attached to that glycerin molecule. Actually, the glycerin molecule is not a fat at all; the chemical structure of glycerin is more similar to a carbohydrate. Nevertheless, glycerin is rarely utilized by the body as an energy source, and thus functions mainly as a fatty acid “carrier.” Dietary diglycerides included in foods are usually obtained from oils (often vegetable oil).

 

stearic acid

 

A colorless, odorless, waxlike fatty acid, CH3(CH2)16COOH, occurring in natural animal and vegetable fats and used in making soaps, candles, lubricants, and other products.

 

TO SUMMARIZE:

 

It seems that many of the additives can be made as easily from vegetable products as from animal products, but how can you tell from which they were made ?

 

Many food products (in the UK at least) state if they are vegetarian or not, and quite a few state if they contain

egg or not, but many toiletry/cosmetic type products do not always do so.

 

I shall try and be more careful in future about what I buy, but when nearly everything is 'polluted' its not easy to

avoid such things.

 

Its like trying to breathe clean air and drink pure water -

hard to do for most of us in this age, but does not mean that you should not try.

 

Haribol!

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna!

 

All glories to Srila PRabhupada! I offer my humble obeisnaces unto him!

 

So can we or can we not buy foods with these products is the question and how strict as an ISKCON devotee can we be is the question?

 

For example, i bought salted butter the other day and i checked the ingredients, it was pretty straightforward with milk, salt and Vitamin A Palpitimate.Guess what- this Vitamin A Palpitimate is an extract from fish. Actualyl i offered the butter to Krishna. But,now i had to throw it bcos it has fish extract in it. This is awful!

 

Also, sugar is whitened using cow bones (not all but most crystalline sugar). I dont know what to do when almost most of the processed foods are tainted with animal by-products.

 

So, how far should we go as devotees to prevent these things-should it be complete 100% abstinence or can we relax some rules and not be too concentrated on these things cos surely the animals are not killed for their by-products solely for their meat.

 

But i will try to cook everything myself and prevent processed food as much as possible.

 

Haribol!

 

anand

[sashin]

Oh does this mean we cannot eat vegetarian pizza outside ?

 

It would be great if each one of you say your opinion on that

 

 

[Guest guest]

Harr Krishna!

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada! I offer my humble obeisance unto him!

 

Iam a great fan of pizza and i love to eat pizzas with olives, green pepper and tomato. But, to answer your question- if we can eat outside- I dont know?

 

I want to eat but if the cheese they use has animal byproduct in it, how can we possibly eat?

 

My only craving after coming to KC was eating pizza outside and now, looks like i have to think twice before eating. The problem is not all cheeses have animal by-product. My gut feeling is most of them have some amounts of animal byproduct.

 

Also, the worst part is rennet that is used to make cheese is taken from calves inner stomach, how gross is this? I cannot believe these Americans will do anything to satisfy their tongue. When there are non-violent ways to make cheese, i dont understand why they use rennet taken from animals.

 

Having said all that, it is impossible to know if the cheese is made from animal byproduct or vegetable byproduct while cheeses are made from both.

 

One thing, we can do though, go to the pizza place and ask the cook himself if he knows the cheese he is using has animal rennet in it.

 

All said and done, we have to make that call whether to eat pizza outside or not.

 

Strictly speaking, Srila Prabhupada prohibits eating in any restaurant outside. So theres our answer.

 

but, if you crave for pizza, another option, learn to make it urself with vege cheese. Its not so difficult. Thats the worst case scenario.

 

But, if u still cannot stop urself from eating, i say eat but everytime u eat prepare urself mentally to stop future eating, so that way, ur cravings can come down slowly.

 

But...calves stomach lining used to coagulate milk to make cheese, to me, is still unbeliveble and horrifying.How low can mankind go!!

 

whats next....lining of tissues from human stomach...or something like that!!

 

What to say....this world is just MISERABLE as Srila Prabhupada said!

 

Haribol!

 

anand

[sashin]

Anand Prabhuji, thanks a lot for your amazing response...i rarely eat pizza outside but now I will try not to eat...but as you said its horrifying to know what is contianed in this cheese..

 

ys

-Sashi

[Guest guest]

why no one asks to his spiritual master?

 

the standards are to be decided on personal basis, masters are here for this reason

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna!

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada! I offer my humble obesiance unto him!

 

To answer your question about asking the spiritual master, the answer is 'one should prohibit eating outside in any restaurant'.

 

So, i think the answer is clear. Unfortunately, I like to eat outside. So, i am asking a question for which i know the answer- I SHOULD NOT EAT OUTSIDE.

 

I will try not to eat outside, slowly!

 

I wrote to KURMA DAS Prabhu who is a famous cook and a disciple of Srila Prabhupada,he said pizzas from outside most likely contain animal byproduct in its cheese and one should prevent it. So, there is the answer to our question.

 

It is clear we should avoid eating outside. However, for people who have the habit of eating outside, we have to slowly reduce and probably one day we can stop!

 

We should be sincere in trying to change and Guru and Krishna will help us lose the habits detrimental spiritual practice.

 

Haribol!

 

anand

[Guest guest]

there's many pure devotees and there's a huge variety of disciples with various standards.. including many who eat outside or buy food outside

 

but this is not a big problem..... the problem is "one should prohibit eating outside in any restaurant"

 

maybe you have not a spiritual master, otherwise your answer were: "my spiritual master has prohibited to me to go in the restaurant"

 

you cannot know what a pure devotee can say to you in your own situation, prabhupada said to harikesha leaving to preach in eastern europe, that he were allowed to eat meat if there was no other possibility..

 

so in my opinion, you have to put a big effort in surrendering to a pure uttama guru and he will suggest what will be your eating standard

 

--

 

in this material world there's no possibility to avoid mistakes, if we are not connected we cannot save us even if we get perfect ascetism......... if we are connected with krsna through the spiritual master all our mistakes are forgiven if we put our biggest effort in following and chanting hare krsna

[bhaktaG]

Hare Krishna

I've read that hard cheeses, like parmesan cheese, generally contain animal rennet (it is necessary to use animal rennet to make this kind of cheeses). Soft and

semi-soft cheeses, like Gouda cheese, can be made

with microbial rennet.

Microbial rennet is cheaper than animal rennet, so it is very likely that most of soft and semi-soft cheeses are made with microbial rennet.

Here is a link to an article about this, but it is in spanish:

Alimentos Contaminados

Haribol

PS Sorry i don't find a way to put the link, it always

appear wrong when i save the message.

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna!

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada! I offer my humble obeisance unto him!

 

Prabbhu...the link is not working!

 

Please post it again!

 

Thanks.

 

Haribol!

 

anand

[bhaktaG]

Hare Krishna

I've tried to post the link but i haven't been able.

Each time i edit it i can preview it but when i save the message the link doesn't work. It seems is something related to the domain, when i save the message the domain disappears! (i've used the 'url' tags that appear in the edit page).

Anyway it is a page from Iskcon Mexico, the name of the domain is . (don't use the hyphens, i had to put them because if not the name disappear).

May be you can search there for the information.

Haribol

P.S.

Sorry it happened again, i can't even write the name of the domain. I'm starting to think it is being blocked.

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna!

on my last visit to the grocery store, I noted that many cheeses specify "vegetable rennet", vs. just "rennet" (which I assume is from calves), and some say "microbial enzymes/rennet".

Here is a link to different types of purely vegetarian cheese:

http://www.cheese.com/vegetarian.asp

 

hope this helps.

Haribol!

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna!

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada! I offer my humble obeisance unto him!

 

Prabhu, do you live in UK or USA or anywhere else. Just curious because I live in Iowa, US and here when i check the label on the cheese for ingredients,most often, it is written as enzymes or something like that but not as animal rennet or vegtable rennet.

 

Unless it is a organic food store but in normal stores, i cant find the difference. Thats the problem!

 

Haribol!

 

anand

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

Prabhu,

I live in Texas - you may simply want to visit another grocer. To my understanding (and you can verify this with some research) if it says enzymes, its usually microbiological. If it simply says rennet, then I assume its calf origin. Also, you mention that you live in Iowa, which is prime farmland. You may want to research and see if there are any cheesemakers in driving range from you, and you can personally visit them and see if they offer any vegetarian cheese. The last option is to order online. As you know, there are literally hundreds of varieties of cheeses. The link I posted has a list of those varieties which are vege /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

Haribol!

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna!

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada! I offer my humble obeisance unto him!

 

Thanks for your advice. I will try to my best to access the proper cheese product.

 

Haribol!

 

anand

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna!

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada! I offer my humble obeisance unto him!

 

Below is another article on food. The link to the page is also given.

 

http://www.expresshotelierandcaterer.com/20020805/inside201.shtml

 

Inside Kitchen

 

Misinterpretation: A Costly Affair

 

The beef flavourings in French fries served at McDonald's outlets in the US caused a major out cry. Though the issue was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, hoteliers and restaurateurs there have opened their eyes. Rajesh Rodrigues, takes a closer look on the various `vegetarian'

food products served in Indian hotels and restaurants which could be contaminated with animal products

 

India is the land of diverse religious beliefs, cultures and habits which houses the most populous vegetarians in the world. There are an estimated 40 per cent of vegetarians in India (the number is growing), and almost 85 per cent non-beef consumers. Last year, a couple of McDonald's restaurants in Mumbai, faced the brunt of a section of a community for no fault of theirs which resulted in losses to the tune of a few lakh rupees. This misunderstanding amongst the general population had to clarified by placing advertisements to prove that no animal products were served to their vegetarian customers in their outlets in India which further added to the losses incurred.

 

Indians today are well-informed and widely travelled. Most guests who visit the restaurants are aware of what they are being served and the contents in their plate. Here chefs cannot afford to take their modern guests for granted. Brown sauce which is basically made of beef bones (some chefs add ham for more flavour) would have major repercussions if served with a vegetarian dish or a chicken dish as an accompaniment. Internationally due to strict food laws, chefs do not chance to mixing and matching foods of different categories. But the same is not the case in India.

 

Other than a few large hotels in Indian cities, most chefs have risen to the position through hardwork and honing their skills. The kitchen head may not be well-versed with the various contents in the packed bottle or tin.

This could lead to ignorance and s/he may end up serving food that could contain animal products or food processed with the animal ingredients.

 

Various bottled and packed foods (usually imported) have animal additives in it. According to The Vegetarian Society, a UK-based organisation, `Vegetarian dishes must not contain animal flesh (meat, fowl, fish or

shellfish) meat, fish or bone stock or stock cubes, animal carcass fats (including suet, lard or dripping) gelatine, aspic, gelatine-based block or jelly crystals battery or intensively produced eggs or with ingredients derived from slaughterhouse.'

 

Indian sweets, known extensively all over the world, are often coated with a silver foil (varkh). Though eye appealing, the process of producing the thin, fine, silver foil needs the intestinal wall of freshly killed oxen (on which the silver is kept and hammered to its fine thinness). This is then coated on the sweet served to the ignorant guest.

 

Imported cheeses is traditionally made with rennet, an enzyme extracted from the stomach of slaughtered calves. Though a law in India states that cheese has to be made with vegetarian rennet, imported cheeses especially those from Italy, France, New Zealand and Australia could contain non-vegetarian ingredient (unless mentioned on the packet). Restaurants could be serving a vegetarian pizza unknowingly with a beef ingredients.

 

The liabilities attached with mis-interpretation of food products could lead to massive losses to the hoteliers and restaurateurs. Customers could pull the restaurant to the court if his vegetable burger is coated with an egg-wash. A burger which would be priced at Rs 60 could cost the hotel over a lakh rupees in the form of compensation to the guest.

 

Food flavourings cubes have large percentage animal product in it.

Worcestershire sauce served on the table are flavoured with anchovies.

Proper care should be taken while planning the recipe has to be careful as the sauce could be used to cook a vegetarian dish. Similarly a large amount of food served in a restaurant could contain animal products (see box).

 

Taking care does not end there. Work surfaces and chopping boards, utensils and all other kitchen equipment and facilities must either be kept separate from those used for non-vegetarian food preparation, or cleaned thoroughly before vegetarian food preparation. Very few hotels in India have completely different kitchens for vegetarian food. But the fryers, grills and griddles used for preparing non-vegetarian products should be thoroughly cleaned. Fryers must be filled with fresh, uncontaminated oil before vegetarian food is cooked. Reputed hotels should use separate set of utensils for the preparation and serving of vegetarian meals.

 

The various food products that contain hidden animal ingredients

 

Alcohol

 

Many manufacturers of beers, wines and spirits use unsuitable clarifying agents such as gelatine, egg white (usually from battery hens), isinglass (from the swim bladder of the sturgeon) or chitin.

 

Bread

 

Bread from commercial bakers may include flour improvers which can be animal derived, or they may use lard to grease the tins which would not be acceptable to vegetarians.

 

Cheese

 

Traditionally rennet, an enzyme extracted from the stomach of slaughtered calves, is used and is therefore unacceptable.

 

Fats and oils

 

Animal fats and fish oils, except butter, are unsuitable (both in recipes and for greasing tins).

 

Fruit juices

 

May have been clarified with gelatine.

 

Gravies and stock

 

Cubes or powders could contain meat, poultry or fish extract.

 

Honey

 

Royal jelly (honey) is not vegetarian.

 

Margarine

 

May contain `whey' which is only vegetarian if it is derived from a vegetarian cheese making process, E471 which may be derived from animal fat, vitamins A and E which may be stabilised with gelatine, or vitamin D which may come from the lanolin of slaughtered sheep.

 

Worcestershire sauce

 

This product usually contains anchovies.

 

Silver foil

 

The process of producing the thin, fine, silver foil, called varkh, found on mithai, etc, needs the intestinal wall of freshly killed oxen (on which the silver is kept and hammered to its fine thinness).

[Guest guest]

Anand, you need to go buy your cheese from a "healthfood store" as opposed to a regular supermarket. In the healthfood stores they have the cheeses that specify what type of rennet is used, and you will have dozens of varities of vegetarian cheese to choose from. An example of such a store is "Trader Joe's", but it may not exist in your city. There will certainly be some healthfood stores where you can get it. If not, order online.

[Guest guest]

i dont know where all you people are but cheese made from non animal renet is availaible in sydney australia labeled nimbin cheese

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna

This is not for people in Austarlia (as most of the products in countries other than India would be from animal origin & are not trust worthy). Ya but in India "Amul" cheese is a reliable product. pls check their website

Hare krishna

 

[Guest guest]

thank u .i had this question in my mind.

[Nirali]

My microbiology teacher said that rennet are enzymes which are obtained from a cow's stomach....so if the cheese packaging has 'suitable for vegetarians's' written on it then you can consume it because it is a genetically engineered product; gene coding rennet is determined then gene is inserted into bacteria, bacteria populates and the cheese industry uses this type of rennet....so just watch out for V labels thats all

Jay Shree Krishna

[Guest guest]

I am in the US (texas) and was once told that all organic cheeses were made with vegetarian friendly enzymes (either plant enzymes or microbial enzymes). Hope this helps.

 

Hare Krishna!