unilad homepage
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • World News
    • Crime
    • Health
    • Money
    • Sport
    • Travel
  • Film and TV
    • Netflix
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
People shocked after learning why parmesan cheese isn’t vegetarian

Home> News> Food & Drink

Published 15:10 13 Sep 2024 GMT+1

People shocked after learning why parmesan cheese isn’t vegetarian

The well-loved Italian cheese isn't suitable for vegetarians

Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover
Featured Image Credit: Fudio/Tetra Images

Topics: Food and Drink, Vegan, Animals, Science

Niamh Shackleton
Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton is an experienced journalist for UNILAD, specialising in topics including mental health and showbiz, as well as anything Henry Cavill and cat related. She has previously worked for OK! Magazine, Caters and Kennedy.

X

@niamhshackleton

Advert

Advert

Advert

If you're a vegetarian cheese-lover, then you should probably listen up.

Vegetarians, unlike vegans, still eat a lot of cheese as the popular diary product contains a lot of protein that many people would usually rely on meat for.

But some veggies are being left floored after learning there are some cheeses that aren't as animal product-free as they thought.

Advert

There are so many delicious cheeses out there: from cheddar and feta to gouda and brie, and they're arguably pretty hard to remove from your diet as they're just tasty (hats off to all the devout vegans out there).

And some people are only just learning that's there's an ingredient in some cheeses that makes it none vegetarian-friendly - one cheese being parmesan..

Unfortunately, it has some stuff in it which may upset a vegetarian, so if you’re happy living that ‘ignorance is bliss’ lifestyle, then look away now because we’re about to expose how many traditional parmesans are made.

The coagulation process, by which this cheese is made, uses an enzyme called chymosin.

This gastric enzyme is introduced to the product by using something called rennet.

Many traditional parmesan cheeses are not veggie friendly (Getty Stock)
Many traditional parmesan cheeses are not veggie friendly (Getty Stock)

When a baby cow is killed, the cullers will remove its stomach and let it dry out.

After, the dishevelled stomach will be cut up into cubes and added to the cheese mixture.

Once the calf stomach is added, the mixture will then coagulate and hey presto - you have a block of cheese!

And it's not just parmesan. Have you heard of Grana Padano or gorgonzola? Unfortunately, both of these products use calf rennet too.

Also cross Manchego, Emmenthal and the Yuletide staple Camembert off your list because they aren’t veggie either.

The popular Italian cheese is often grated and sprinkled on pasta dishes (Getty Stock)
The popular Italian cheese is often grated and sprinkled on pasta dishes (Getty Stock)

While this process has been going on for a long, long time, some are only just realising their dairy isn’t veggie-friendly.

One said online: "Today years old when I found out parmesan cheese is made from baby cow’s stomach & I could go cry. I’m just gonna have to go full vegan at this point."

Another said: "Parmesan cheese isn’t vegetarian?!"

Someone else added: "I’m still shooketh!"

There are some vegetarian alternatives, however, so next time you're shopping down the cheese aisle, best double check the label.

Choose your content:

5 hours ago
6 hours ago
  • Getty Stock
    5 hours ago

    How much you will get from Trader Joe's $7.4m settlement and how to make a claim

    The grocery store chain was involved in a multi-million dollar class action settlement

    News
  • YouTube/Veritasium
    5 hours ago

    Expert exposes tap-to-pay flaw that can steal thousands from a locked iPhone

    Hackers can steal thousands from your bank account just by standing near your iPhone, using an exploit that has been around for years

    News
  • YouTube/LADBible Stories
    5 hours ago

    Plastic surgeon reveals why BBLs are so dangerous and how patients could die

    Leading plastic surgeon Dr Dan Marsh opened up about why the procedure is so risky, and what can be done to reduce the danger

    News
  • Getty Stock
    6 hours ago

    Professor reveals two things that make you wake up at 3am every night

    Waking up in the middle of the night can be frustrating if it happens once, but if it becomes a pattern you can easily slip into insomnia

    News
  • There's a scientific reason why some people hate the taste of cilantro
  • People are only just learning why you can sometimes see the Moon during the day
  • People left disturbed after seeing how crabsticks are made and they never want to eat them again
  • People stunned after learning there's a $20 billion airport located in the ocean