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Rennet 101

What Is Vegetarian Rennet?

Short answer

Vegetarian rennet is a general term for milk coagulants that do not come from animal stomachs. In practice it usually means microbial rennet produced by fermentation, and sometimes plant-derived coagulants such as thistle.

By Bixa Products, Editorial teamUpdated February 6, 20264 min read

The three coagulant families

  • Animal rennet — extracted from the stomachs of young ruminants.
  • Microbial rennet — produced by fermentation of selected microorganisms.
  • Plant coagulants — from plants such as cardoon thistle, used in specific regional traditions.

Labelling matters more than the category

If you are selling cheese with a vegetarian claim, the claim needs to rest on the documentation of the specific coagulant you buy, not on the general category. Ask your supplier for the product's own statement.

About the author

Bixa Products — Editorial team

Educational content written by the Bixa Products team, a family-owned cheesemaking ingredient company specializing in rennet and chymosin. Technical guidance is written conservatively: where a value depends on your milk, process or product, we say so instead of guessing for you.

  • Family-owned cheesemaking ingredient company
  • 30+ years in the Latin American cheesemaking market
  • Specialists in rennet, chymosin and milk coagulation

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What Is Microbial Rennet?

Microbial rennet is a milk-coagulating preparation produced by microbial fermentation rather than taken from animal stomachs. It does the same job in the vat: destabilising milk protein so a curd forms.

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Microbial Rennet vs. Animal Rennet

Microbial rennet is produced by fermentation; animal rennet is extracted from the stomachs of young ruminants. Both coagulate milk. The practical differences are dietary suitability, tradition, and how each behaves during long ripening.

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