All Horizon Organic Cheeses are made without the use of rennet, except Parmesan. It is not possible to achieve a true Parmesan flavor without the use of rennet. Its chief active component is the enzyme rennin.
Rennet is used for cheese curing.
The use of rennet is a concern for vegetarians, who want to avoid this ingredient since it is animal-based. In the case of our other cheeses, an organic-approved microbial enzyme is used instead of rennet. These enzymes are used in order to start the process of curing and aging the cheese. The enzymes coagulate the protein, which along with fat, form curds that are then separated from the liquid protein which is called whey. The use of these microbial enzymes enables cheese production without the use of rennet.