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90% of Hard Cheese in the U.S. Now Made with Vat-Grown Enzyme

90% of Hard Cheese in the U.S. Now Made with Vat-Grown Enzyme

The cheese industry has seen a significant shift as genetically engineered chymosin replaces traditional calf-stomach rennet in hard cheese production.

Editorial Staff
1 min read
Updated 5 days ago

Since the FDA approved the first genetically engineered chymosin in 1990, a remarkable transformation has occurred in the cheese-making process in the United States.

Today, approximately 90% of hard cheese produced in the U.S. utilizes this fermentation-produced enzyme instead of the traditional rennet derived from calves' stomachs.

This change represents one of the largest silent ingredient swaps in American food production, impacting both the industry and consumers.