GMO ingredient found in cheese, even from grass-fed cows

I love cheese, and I’ve yet to really meet a person who doesn’t. But finding high quality GMO free cheeses is getting harder. You probably already know about how most dairy cows in the United States are fed GMO feed, but is there another GMO derived ingredient that could be contaminating even the grass-fed farm cheeses? The answer is sadly YES.

“What this means is that most cheese in North America is made from vegetarian-friendly but animal-origin, GMO-derived FPC rennet.” –American Cheese Society

All about rennet

Chymosin is the active enzyme found in rennet that is used as a coagulant in cheese-making. A coagulant is used to separate the milk into curds and whey, as well as break down the protein casein in milk.

There are 5 types of coagulants in cheese-making:

1.  Animal rennet (most expensive, up to 2x times cost of alternatives)
2.  Microbial rennet (mold derived rennet, hard to find, now replaced by FPC GMO rennet)
3. FPC-Fermentation Produced Chymosin rennet (GMO)
4. Vegetable rennet (hard to source)
5. Citric acid or vinegar (often sourced from GMO corn)

Why is GMO FPC rennet used?

The answer is as simple as supply and demand. According to GMO Compass, “the demand for cheese cannot be met with traditional rennet. Therefore, diverse rennet substitutes are in use.” The FPC GMO rennet provides an inexpensive option in unlimited supply. Read more >>