<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Thank you very much for your comments and suggestions regarding my recent post "enzymes used in cheese."

Companies mentioned by responders as having GF cheeses were: Cabot (14), Kraft (5), Horizon (3), and Boar's Head (1). One responder stated that three Israeli dairies -- Tnuva, Tara, and Shtraus -- produce GF cheese.

Eighteen responders stated that they had not considered potential problems with enzymes, but stated that they (or their celiac family members) could not tolerate some cheeses and didn't know why.

One responder, who had executed a thorough Internet search, described the process of deriving rennet from animals and stated that some vegetable juices and extracts (e.g., lady bed straw, stinging nettle, and thistle flower) also can be used to make vegetable rennet. 

Because Cabot was mentioned so often, I contacted them and was given permission by the Marketing Director to quote and post the following information about the enzyme source:

"The enzymes that we use to coagulate our milk into curds and whey is
called chymosin and is produced via a fermentation process using
bacteria.  The enzyme provides the same cheesemaking functionality as
rennin in its natural form, which is derived from the stomach lining of
calves.  Both the enzymes and the resulting cheeses we make are
certified kosher."

I have also contacted several other companies and am awaiting responses about the enzyme source of their respective cheeses.

Thank you again,
Kathleen Wildasin
Lexington, KY

*Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the Celiac List *