The Vegetarian Resource Group Blog

Search Results

Genetically Modified Microbial Rennet: How Vegetarian Is It? 0

Posted on September 03, 2021 by The VRG Blog Editor

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

The Vegetarian Resource Group recently received an email inquiry from a food scientist. She asked:

“Is genetically engineered microbial rennet considered vegetarian?…My question is not just whether the genetically engineered microbial rennet is vegetarian, but this rennet is added to milk to make cheese, and in the cheese-making process, whey is produced, and this whey is concentrated to make whey protein isolate. I would like to know if this end product “whey protein isolate” is considered vegetarian due to the use of genetically engineered microbial rennet in the manufacturing process.”

Here is how we responded in August 2021:

Have you seen an article we did in 2012 on microbial rennets and fermentation produced chymosin (FPC)? In that piece, we describe the bioengineering involved. We point out exactly where and when the genetic code for an animal’s enzyme (specifically a bovine calf’s) comes into play to produce the active component of rennet known as chymosin. It is chymosin that does the actual work of curdling cow’s milk during dairy cheese making.

After speaking with enzyme company experts, I personally do not believe bovine-derived, bioengineered chymosin is vegetarian.

At some point long ago, the genetic material encoding for bovine chymosin was removed from an animal. This could have happened when rennet-containing material or cells from a calf’s stomach were removed from the animal. Patent applications describe animal glands from a slaughterhouse as the source of the genetic material. In any case, we know that the original process was never animal-free. The goal was to extract and isolate the genetic code for the cheese-producing enzyme. This process is a form of bioengineering that produces a genetically modified organism (GMO).

Enzyme manufacture today, many generations of microbes later, depends on that first bovine. The gene encoding for bovine chymosin directs the microbes to produce bovine chymosin each and every time, even today.

I don’t distinguish the two enzymes as (1) non-vegetarian originally, but (2) transformed into being vegetarian many microbial generations later after (or because of) genetic bioengineering and microbial fermentation. The genetic code used, in both cases, is bovine.

It is true that once the genetic material was removed from animal rennet, cells in the calf’s stomach lining, or from the animal’s glands, no more animals were needed. Animals aren’t used to make each batch of enzyme. Researchers extracted the genetic blueprint from one animal/animal organ and made copies of it in the lab via and in microbes.

On this basis, many vegetarians and cheese companies using FPC produced in this manner consider cheese made with it as “vegetarian.” (They also consider it “non-GMO.”) Possibly, they do not consider animal genes as “animal products” or “animal-derived ingredients.” The presence of animal ingredients would make their product non-vegetarian. No calf is used to make each fresh batch of enzymes, either. So, they assert, bovine FPC must be vegetarian.

As a result, you’ll find “vegetarian rennet” or “vegetarian enzymes” on dairy cheese labels.

As described in our 2012 article linked to above, due to technological advances in food science, there are cheese-producing enzymes originally formed from the encoding of genetic material (modified or not) belonging to a microbial species and inserted into organisms of a different microbial species to yield chymosin after fermentation.

These enzymes are truly bioengineered “microbial enzymes” in every sense of that term, known as FPC.

Possibly, this biotechnological discovery was found through experimentation to yield greater amounts of chymosin, or a type of chymosin that leads to better-tasting cheese. Maybe it was less expensive to manufacture.

For whatever reason, I would call it “vegetarian rennet.” I don’t know if or how much of these 100% authentically microbial chymosins exist today or, if they do, what their market share is as compared to the bovine FPC.

In any case, 90%+ of all dairy cheese in the United States is made with some type of FPC.

Which type of FPC? Although The VRG has not done research this year on FPC, we suspect that it is largely bovine chymosin produced through bioengineering as described initially in this article that’s widely used today to make dairy cheese.

Rennet or FPC in Whey

As The VRG reported in 2008, 90-95% of the small quantity of milk-curdling enzyme used to make a batch of cheese remains in the whey during dairy cheese making.

So, to answer the second part of our inquirer’s question concerning the vegetarian status of whey protein isolate, the argument given above directly applies here as well.

In my view, whey and similar products derived from dairy cheese making using bovine FPC are not vegetarian. This is not the view shared by many vegetarians or by food and beverage companies selling products containing whey or related ingredients.

However, if a type of FPC that is completely free from all animal products, including animal genes at any and all points during the development of the FPC from its first creation until now, is used to make cheese, then I would describe both the enzyme and the cheese formed from it as vegetarian. Similarly, the whey and whey-containing products formed during that FPC’s use in cheese making would also be vegetarian.

VRG recommendation to companies regarding FPC and labeling of cheese and whey-containing products

The VRG recommends that all companies using FPC to make dairy cheese, whey, whey protein isolate, or products containing them specify on their labels and on their websites how their FPC was made. Then consumers will have all the information they need to determine if a product is right for them, whatever their dietary preference. They may even decide to choose vegan cheese instead.

More specifically, if their FPC resulted from the laboratory engineering of a calf’s genetic material many microbial generations ago and inserted into a microbe’s genetic makeup, then state it as such. If their FPC came from a uniquely microbial transfer of microbial genetic information only, with no animal genetic inputs ever, even at the beginning, then this should be so stated.

VRG readers who have any further questions about FPC and its use in cheese or whey-containing foods and beverages should contact food companies directly. They, in turn, should contact their ingredient suppliers and hopefully relay source information back to you. For tips on how to ask questions in order to maximize your chance of receiving accurate information from food companies, this VRG article may be helpful.

For more ingredient information, see https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

Could you check to see that the Brioche Bun at Ruby Tuesday does not contain any eggs or animal rennet? 0

Posted on August 24, 2021 by The VRG Blog Editor

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

The Vegetarian Resource Group received an email asking for our assistance in finding out ingredient information on an item at the quick casual chain, Ruby Tuesday:

“I am a lacto-vegetarian who is researching what my friends and I can eat at Ruby Tuesday…I cannot determine the ingredients in the Brioche Bun that Ruby Tuesday serves. Ruby Tuesday does not list the ingredients, and I have been having trouble getting ingredient information from them…Could you check to see that the Brioche Bun does not contain any eggs or animal rennet? Thanks in advance for your help.”

In July 2021, this is how The VRG responded.

As far as the bun, we used Ruby’s tool on their website. First, I randomly picked a store.

Then after clicking “Go,” on the dropdown menu titled Set Your Preferences that appeared, we chose “Food Allergy or Restrictions?” From the displayed icons, we selected two restrictions: “no egg, no milk.” That generated menu options by category without egg or milk. (You could unrestrict one or both of them if you wanted, but you’d get many more items.)

Since I included both as restrictions, we can also get a better idea (although not conclusive) on the bun’s vegan status.

When you click on “Breads and Buns” you’ll see the brioche bun. Note that there’s one on the left referred to as “Buttered” although it’s clarified below the name to be “buttered with liquid margarine.” The second listing on the right is for a plain bun.

Click on the little “i” to the right of “Brioche Bun,” (to the far right on the screen), and you’ll see the ingredients:

Ingredients

Brioche Bun (unbuttered) [Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Sugar, Margarine (Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Water, Salt, Mono- and Diglycerides (plant), Artificial Flavor, Colored with Annatto, Calcium Disodium EDTA [Preservative], Vitamin A Palmitate Added), Yeast, Contains 2% or less of each of the following: Wheat Gluten, Salt, Yellow Corn Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Dextrose, Calcium Sulfate, Dough Conditioners (Contains one or more of the following: Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Calcium Stearoyl Lactylate (plant), Monoglycerides (plant), Mono- And Diglycerides (plant), Distilled Monoglycerides (plant), Calcium Peroxide, Calcium Iodate, DATEM, Ethoxylated Mono- and Diglycerides (plant), Enzymes, Ascorbic Acid), Colored With Annatto Extract, and Turmeric Oleoresin, Glaze (Water, Sunflower Oil, Vegetable Proteins, Wheat Maltodextrins, Wheat Dextrose, Corn Starch), Calcium Propionate (To Retard Spoilage) ], Liquid Margarine [Beta Carotene, Calcium Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Liquid Soybean Oil, Natural & Artificial Flavors, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Salt, Sodium Benzoate, Soy Lecithin, Vegetable Mono & Diglycerades, Vitamin A Palmitate, Water ]

This statement is very good in that it identifies many plant sources in cases where it could be different (like an animal source). Not many statements from other chains do this.

Vegans should note that the natural flavors in the liquid margarine are likely dairy (not specified). You’d have to inquire with the company if you wanted to know for sure.

To check if Ruby Tuesday called the bun “vegan,” and get more indirect information about the natural flavors, we reset the tool and tried again. This time we entered no restrictions. However, under the drop-down menu “Select Lifestyle Options,” we chose “vegan.”

The VRG also checked the tiny box next to the statement: “Show me only what I can eat.”

This time, no breads and buns were listed as vegan options.

Incidentally, restricting milk and eggs and selecting vegan also showed no breads and buns that fit that category.

Even though the liquid margarine used for buttering contains natural flavors which are probably dairy-derived while the bun itself does not contain them, and the plain bun isn’t buttered, the plain bun still wasn’t listed as “vegan” when we used the website tool.

The artificial flavor in the plain bun’s margarine (as a bun ingredient; see statement above) is probably not dairy-derived but it could be. It is most likely synthetic and derived from petroleum-derived ingredients. Because of the range of possibilities regarding artificial butter flavor, The VRG is unable to say definitively, based on the tool and ingredient statement, whether the plain Brioche bun is vegan.

The enzymes listed in the bun are likely plant-based or microbial fermentation products. Here’s a general reference.

Sugar source is unknown.

Readers looking for more information about any items at Ruby Tuesday should directly contact the chain.

For information about veg restaurants, see https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

For other chain info, see https://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

Pizza Hut® Bean Pizza Sauce Contains Beef Flavor; Several Products Contain Animal Rennet 0

Posted on June 05, 2020 by The VRG Blog Editor

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

The Vegetarian Resource Group received an email inquiry about Pizza Hut asking: “Do you see any issues with Pizza Hut’s crusts? We know one of the crusts does contain eggs.”

Pizza Hut Customer Service Contacted

In response to our inquiry to Pizza Hut, we received an email with the subject line “Nutrition and Ingredients Animal Rennet,” which was a generic response in Q&A format, similar to an FAQ page.

“Q. What is the source of the enzymes in pizza cheese?
A. Enzymes used in the production of pizza cheese for Pizza Hut is a microbial fermentation ingredient…and is not of animal origin. However, Pizza Hut does not claim any of our products to be ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ as all products are prepared in a common area with meat products and cooked in the same oven. On request, the Restaurant Team will use additional caution when preparing products for guests with dietary concerns.

Q. Do any of the cheeses at Pizza Hut contain animal rennet?
A. Parmesan Romano cheese blend that is added to P’Zones, Breadsticks, and Ultimate Cheese Pizza as well as some Dine-In products contains both microbial enzymes and animal-based rennet. Customers can request that ‘breadstick seasoning’ or ‘Parmesan parsley blend’ NOT be added to your products, if desired…

Q. Is there meat in your pizza sauce?
A. Pizza sauce and marinara sauce contain no beef or other meat products…

  1. Source of Dough Enzymes
    A. There are no animal byproducts used in any of our Pizza Hut crusts. The enzymes present in some of our dough including our breadstick dough, are used as a dough conditioner and are from a microbial origin…”

After receiving these responses, The VRG analyzed the ingredient information located on the Pizza Hut website. To find it, site visitors must click on “Nutrition” at the bottom of the homepage. Then, when on the Nutrition page, choose the bottom right red rectangle labeled “Ingredient Search”.

When we performed a search on enzymes, we noticed many menu items containing enzymes of unspecified source.

The VRG also noticed that the bean pizza sauce apparently contained beef-derived natural flavors. The listing for this sauce stated: “NATURAL FLAVOR (CONTAINS BEEF FLAVOR).” This fact was in contradiction with the email response that we had been sent (shown above).

There were many menu offerings with unspecified natural flavors. Because the natural flavors in the bean pizza sauce were apparently animal-sourced, we wanted to know if any or all of these other natural flavors in other Pizza Hut products were animal-derived.

In response to our follow-up questions, we received the identical email as above, without clarification. 

Local Pizza Hut Manager Contacted

The VRG tried calling a suburban Maryland Pizza Hut for answers, which did not result in clarification.

Pizza Hut Customer Service, Continued

We tried customer service again, and received the standard email titled “Nutrition and Ingredients Animal Rennet” without any further information.

We tried again, and we raised the beef flavor issue that was an apparent contradiction. The Pizza Hut email stated that there were no animal byproducts in the sauce. The website ingredient statement for the bean pizza sauce included the words “contains beef flavor.”

A few days later, we received an email from Pizza Hut with the subject line, “Pizza Hut Nutrition and Ingredients.” We expected to see the same FAQ-like email that we had already received three times before.

However, this email was different.

It said:

“Thank you for your interest in our product.

We sincerely apologize if our previous responses did not provide the information you requested. If you could please respond to this message providing a list of your specific concerns, we will research and provide you with that information as quickly as possible.

We apologize for the delay and thank you for your patience while we work to resolve your concerns.”

So, in reply, we sent our complete list of questions again.

Pizza Hut told us they were contacting their suppliers for the information. In May 2020, The VRG received this response from Pizza Hut. (Note: Pizza Hut’s responses follow the bullet points listed after each of our questions.)

“I have inserted the information you requested in this message. Please let me know if we did not answer all your questions.

  1. Although your Q/A-style response included information on enzymes, there are other enzymes that you didn’t specifically mention. Could you please tell me: Are the enzymes (listed four times) in the Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pizza Sauce, Stuffed Garlic Knot, and Bread Bites (listed twice) derived from animals?
    •Creamy Garlic Parmesan Sauce, Parmesan parsley seasoning that is used on Stuffed Garlic Knots and the seasoning for Bread Bites all contain enzymes that are derived from both microbial and animal-derived sources…
  2. The natural flavor in your bean pizza sauce is specified as “beef flavor” using your Ingredient Search Tool. Is this an actual beef-derived product?
    •Pizza Hut suppliers confirm that beef flavor used in bean pizza sauce is animal-derived (from beef). [VRG Note: VRG added bold for emphasis.]
  3. Could you please tell me if the natural flavors in the following items are animal-derived?
    •Barbeque Pizza Sauce – natural flavor contains honey
    •Breadsticks – contains natural dairy-derived flavors
    •Buffalo Pizza Sauce –natural flavors not derived from animal sources
    •Buttery Blend Crust Flavor – natural flavors not derived from animal sources
    •Cheese – contains natural plant-based and dairy-derived flavors
    •Cheesesticks (natural flavors listed twice) – contains natural plant-based and dairy-derived flavors
    •Classic Marinara – natural flavors not derived from animal sources
    •Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pizza Sauce (natural flavors listed twice) [VRG Note: No further information from Pizza Hut]
    •Marinara Dipping Sauce – natural flavors not derived from animal sources
    •Stuffed Garlic Knot – contains natural plant-based and dairy-derived flavors
    •Fries – does not contain natural flavors [VRG Note: Lemon-pepper seasoning on some of the fry options contains natural flavors of unspecified source.)
  4. The Mozzarella Poppers Crust contains L-cysteine. Is the L-cysteine animal-derived?
  • Mozzarella Poppers crust is discontinued.”

Pizza Hut Pizza Crusts

To get back to our inquirer’s original question about Pizza Hut crusts, we analyzed the ingredient information on Pizza Hut’s website and concluded:

L-Cysteine

According to the website nutrition information, none of the pizza crusts at Pizza Hut are made with L-cysteine, a dough conditioner usually derived from poultry feathers.

The VRG did not ask Pizza Hut about the following three ingredients which may be of concern to some vegans.

Sugar

These Pizza Hut crusts contain “sugar”: Hand-Tossed, Big Dipper, Detroit, Homestyle, Original Pan, P’zone, Pan (personal), Rectangular, Skinny Slice.

DATEM

DATEM is the acronym for diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides. These could be animal-derived. The following Pizza Hut crusts contain DATEM: Hand-Tossed, Big Dipper, P’Zone, Pan (personal), Rectangular, Skinny Slice.

SSL

SSL is the abbreviation for sodium stearoyl lactylate. The “stearoyl” part of this chemical could come from animal-sourced stearic acid. These crusts contain SSL: Big Dipper, Detroit, Original Pan, Pan (personal), Rectangular.

VRG Note: Pizza Hut’s Thin ‘N Crispy crust does not contain sugar, DATEM, or SSL.

Vegans should note that Udi’s® gluten-free crust at Pizza Hut contains egg whites.

The Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust contains milk.

The VRG encourages readers who have additional ingredient questions to contact Pizza Hut directly.

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

For information about other quick service chains, see https://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

For information about vegetarian/vegan restaurants, see https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

 

To support Vegetarian Resource Group research, donate at www.vrg.org/donate

Or join at https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Pizza Hut® Cheese Made with “Microbial Fermentation Ingredient” — Parmesan Romano Cheese Blend Contains Animal-based Rennet 0

Posted on May 23, 2019 by The VRG Blog Editor

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

The VRG received a question on our Facebook Page
“…I saw your article…that pizza hut uses Chymax (plant-based) rennet to make cheese suitable for vegetarians…Do you know if that is still the case?”

We called Pizza Hut in April 2019 to find out their latest cheese ingredient information.

Here are our questions:

  1. What is the name of the enzyme used to make your pizza cheese?
  2. Do you offer vegan cheese now or are you planning to test it?

A Pizza Hut customer service rep said that she didn’t know the answers to our questions but would look into it further and get back to us by email.

In a timely manner, we received an email response from “Pizza Hut Customer Service.” It consisted of the following Q&A. (Although not posted on their website FAQ page or on their nutrition pages, it looks like something that would be there.)

“Q. What is the source of the enzymes in pizza cheese?
A. Enzymes used in the production of pizza cheese for Pizza Hut is a microbial fermentation ingredient…and is not of animal origin. However, Pizza Hut does not claim any of our products to be ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ as all products are prepared in a common area with meat products and cooked in the same oven. On request, the restaurant team will use additional caution when preparing products for guests with dietary concerns.

Q. Do any of the cheeses at Pizza Hut contain animal rennet?
A. Parmesan Romano cheese blend that is added to P’Zones, Breadsticks and Ultimate Cheese Pizza as well as some dine-in products contains both microbial enzymes and animal-based rennet. Customers can request that ‘breadstick seasoning’ or ‘Parmesan parsley blend’ NOT be added to their products, if desired. However, Pizza Hut does not claim any of our products to be ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ as all products are prepared in a common area with meat products and cooked in the same oven. On request, the restaurant team will use additional caution when preparing products for guests with dietary concerns.

Q. Is there meat in your pizza sauce?
A. Pizza sauce and marinara sauce contain no beef or other meat products. However, Pizza Hut does not claim any of our products to be ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ as all products are prepared in a common area with meat products and cooked in the same oven. On request, the restaurant team will use additional caution when preparing products for guests with dietary concerns.

Q. Source of Dough Enzymes
A. There are no animal byproducts used in any of our Pizza Hut crusts. The enzymes present in some of our dough, including our breadstick dough, is used as a dough conditioner and is from a microbial origin. However, Pizza Hut does not claim any of our products to be ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ as all products are prepared in a common area with meat products and cooked in the same oven. On request, the restaurant team will use additional caution when preparing products for guests with dietary concerns.”

Upon follow-up, we received this additional information.

Regarding vegan cheese, Pizza Hut Customer Service stated:
“At this time Pizza Hut does not offer vegan cheese. Pizza Hut is looking into options.” Those interested in Pizza Hut menu options may find their online nutrition calculator (which lists ingredient information) helpful. It is arranged per menu item, not by general ingredients. You may filter out certain allergens (such as dairy or egg) to generate a complete list of all menu offerings without those allergens.

For information about other restaurant chains, see https://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

For information about vegetarian restaurants around the U.S. and Canada, see VRG Online Veggie Restaurant Guide

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group research, in the USA join here. Join The Vegetarian Resource Group

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

Rennet or Lipase in Black Diamond® Cheese? 1

Posted on January 01, 2018 by The VRG Blog Editor

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

We received an email inquiry from Tom about the Black Diamond Mature Reserve Cheddar Aged 4 Years Premium Sharp Cheddar Crafted in Canada that he had purchased in Maryland. Tom wrote:

“I’m hoping you can help me find an answer! I have been a vegetarian for 45 years, and finally found a cheddar cheese that I like. It says “enzymes” on the package…I can’t get a straight answer from Diamond in Canada (I called) or the number listed on the package of the American distributor…Their distributor in US told me when I called them that they thought that it probably was microbial… But they weren’t sure, because many of the cheeses that come from Canada are made with rennet. The person in Canada whom I talked with said that I would have to get information from the US distributor only. …Hope you can help. I’ve run up against a brick wall, and I bought 20 pounds of it!”

Note that there are many vegan cheeses now, so the easy and safe option is to purchase those. For example, see:

http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/05/30/the-vegetarian-resource-groups-guide-to-vegan-cheese/

http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2017issue2/2017_issue2_vegan_cheese.php

http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/Public/VeganCheese2016.pdf

Tom sent us a photo of the cheese label which stated “Black Diamond is a trademark of Parmalat® Canada and distributed by Lactalis® American Group based in Buffalo, NY.”

On the contact request form itself that we sent in, http://www.blackdiamond.ca/contact-us/, this FAQ appears:

“Is there any Rennet in Black Diamond Cheese Products? Most of our Black Diamond natural cheese products are made using microbial enzymes. Some of our products might contain rennet derived from calves when rennet is listed on the ingredient declaration found on the packaging.”

In November-December 2017 The VRG initially called Parmalat, the Canadian company which owns the Black Diamond brand. We were told hat since Black Diamond is not sold in Canada, they had no information on it. He instructed us to call Parmalat’s US distributor, Lactalis American Group.

We called Lactalis and were told that when “enzymes” is listed on the label of Black Diamond cheeses “the enzymes could be animal or microbial; we cannot guarantee one or the other.”

The VRG then asked if the UPC codes on the cheese could be tracked to the American plant where Tom’s cheese was packed and possibly we could know definitively which enzyme was used. It was indicated that the UPC codes could help uncover more information about the cheese making process.

In a second call, we then relayed three UPC codes. She typed them into her computer and said that the codes had not been found in her system. She then repeated what she had declared during our previous call: “The enzyme source in all Black Diamond cheeses could be animal or microbial; we cannot guarantee the source.”

VRG General Advice on Dairy Cheese Enzymes

Some cheeses that have “enzymes” on their label may contain animal rennet or animal lipase.

Only if “microbial” or “vegetarian” appears before “rennet” on the label can you be sure that animal rennet had not been used in the cheese making process.

But even then some consumers may be concerned that the so-called “vegetarian” enzymes originally began many microbial generations ago with animal genetic material that had been engineered into a microbial genome. See: http://www.vrg.org/blog/2012/08/21/microbial-rennets-and-fermentation-produced-chymosin-fpc-how-vegetarian-are-they/

VRG readers may also enjoy many vegan cheese alternatives widely available today. See: https://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/05/30/the-vegetarian-resource-groups-guide-to-vegan-cheese/

[Note: Read labels carefully. “Casein” and ingredients ending in “caseinate” are dairy-derived. Whey is also dairy-derived.]

Lipases may be included in the general word “enzymes” on cheese labels. When in doubt inquire of the manufacturer. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2008issue3/2008_issue3_update_renet.php for more information.

Incidentally, we asked if lipase was used in the Black Diamond cheddar cheese. Lipase may be used to enhance a cheese’s flavor. She informed us that she had no additional information on lipase itself. “Lipase is an enzyme and as I said before about enzymes, we cannot guarantee its source whether animal or microbial in Black Diamond cheeses.”

The contents of this posting, our website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgement about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.




Gelatin, Carmine, and Rennet Labeling in the U.S. 0

Posted on June 03, 2015 by The VRG Blog Editor

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

An Australian vegetarian planning an upcoming visit to the United States emailed The VRG in April 2015 about whether gelatin, rennet and carmine must be labeled on food packages. Various sources that she had consulted left her with questions so she turned to us for clarification.

Gelatin

A common gelling agent and thickener, gelatin is derived from the bones and skins of cows, pigs, or fish.When used as a food or beverage ingredient gelatin must appear on a food package’s label. Source (bovine, porcine or fish) does not have to be specified.

When used as an incidental additive or as a processing aid in insignificant amounts gelatin is exempt from food labeling requirements. This is the case when gelatin is used as a clarifying agent in wine, beer or juice or used as a carrier in juice or soft drinks (FDA, VRG 1, VRG 2).

Carmine

A red-to-purple coloring pigment obtained from dried bodies of the female insect Coccus cacti, carmine (or cochineal) must be labeled in a packaged food or beverage product because it is a potential allergen (FDA).

Rennet

An enzyme used in cheese production, rennet must be declared on a food label. It may appear simply as “enzymes.” Source (animal, plant or microbial) does not have to be stated (FDA).

Note

The information provided above applies only to labeling of pre-packaged food and beverage products. In 2014, the FDA issued labeling requirements pertaining to restaurant foods which will go in effect on December 1, 2015. Nothing is stated about ingredient labeling of foods served at restaurants or at similar establishments (FDA).

According to this FDA document patrons may request information about restaurant food on an individual basis. Whenever there’s doubt about a specific food ingredient, we recommend that you visit the restaurant website or call and ask to speak to a manager.

The contents of this posting, our website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgement about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group research, donate at:
http://www.vrg.org/member/donate_buttons.php




Microbial Rennets and Fermentation Produced Chymosin (FPC): How Vegetarian Are They? 13

Posted on August 21, 2012 by The VRG Blog Editor

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

Introduction

In 2007, The VRG learned from an employee at Danisco, a major enzyme manufacturer, that fermentation produced chymosin (FPC) responsible for curdling milk used in making cheese, originated from a calf gene. (Chymosin is the primary enzyme in rennet responsible for curdling.) He told us: “Ultimately, maybe twenty-five years ago, the gene used to make microbial chymosin is from calf rennet. It has been genetically modified so it is a GMO product [strictly speaking].” In 2007, The VRG was told by several cheese companies and enzyme makers that approximately 70% of all cheese in the United States was produced with FPC.

In this update, The VRG more closely examines FPC, which is often referred to on labels as “microbial rennet.” In the process, we will discuss the role of bioengineering, such as recombinant DNA technology, in enzyme production commercially practiced today. Labeling issues arise and a comparison with the European Union will be discussed.

History

As we wrote in a 2008 article on rennet, there are four major types of rennet: calf rennet, microbial rennet, FPC, and vegetable rennet. In 2012, best estimates from enzyme companies and dairy groups attribute 90% of all commercial cheese production in the United States to FPC.

Before we get too far ahead, it’s helpful to keep in mind the role of chymosin/rennet in cheese manufacture. Enzymes used to coagulate milk in cheese production (disregarding other enzymes known as lipases which may be added to some cheeses for flavor and which are usually derived from animals even today although this is changing), whether a single type (chymosin) or a mixture, are used in very small quantities (e.g., approximately one ounce per one hundred gallons of milk), and later largely removed from the final cheese product. Approximately 90-95% of the small quantity remains in the whey produced during cheese manufacture. This whey, considered a byproduct of cheese production, is often added to many other food products today, especially packaged foods.

When calf rennet became scarce and unreliably available in the 1960s and 70s as the veal industry was declining due to the animal rights movement but demand for cheese increased, calf rennet became very expensive. Companies looked for a “rennet substitute.” Recombinant DNA technologies involving microbes were becoming popular and companies turned to it in the 1980s.

Companies were encouraged to do so when the U.S. Supreme Court by a 5-4 vote in 1980 ruled that new life forms can be patented.
http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=3095713882675765791&q=Diamond+v.+Chakrabarty%29&hl=en&as_sdt=2,21&as_vis=1
This landmark case overturned a Patents and Trademark Office denial of the patent for a genetically engineered microbe.

In 1990, in another precedent-setting decision by a U.S. government office, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of FPC in food. It was the first time a bioengineered product was permitted in food in the U.S. Insulin, manufactured in a similar fashion, was approved by FDA eight years earlier as a drug. Read about it here: http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/WhatWeDo/History/ProductRegulation/SelectionsFromFDLIUpdateSeriesonFDAHistory/ucm081964.htm.

Pfizer is credited with perfecting the technique in which genetic material (ribonucleic acid, or RNA) coding for chymosin is removed from an animal source and inserted via plasmids into microbial DNA (bacteria E. coli K-12) in a process known as gene splicing (a type of recombinant DNA technology). Through fermentation the microbes possessing the bovine genetic material produce bovine chymosin which is later isolated and purified in quantities much greater than those in calf rennet or in non-animal recombinant DNA microbial rennets. Since the original Federal Register article announcing bioengineered chymosin’s approval is no longer available online because it is so dated, (but may be purchased by calling or ordering offline), those interested may read about the FDA approval here:
http://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/25/us/gene-altered-item-approved-by-fda.html
http://articles.latimes.com/1990-03-24/news/mn-681_1_genetically-engineered-product-for-food

What is significant about the FDA approval is that bioengineered chymosin was granted Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) status. This meant that Pfizer was exempt from the preapproval requirements that apply to new food additives. Pfizer demonstrated what is often referred to as “substantial equivalence.” FDA concluded that bioengineered chymosin was substantially equivalent to calf rennet and needed neither special labeling nor indication of its source or method of production.

As J. H. Maryanski, Strategic Manager for Biotechnology, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA, explained in an article titled “FDA’s Policy for Foods Developed by Biotechnology,” Pfizer showed “…the introduced chymosin gene encoded a protein that had the same structure and function as animal-derived chymosin; the manufacturing process removes most impurities; the production microorganisms are destroyed or removed during processing and are non-toxigenic and non-pathogenic; and any antibiotic-resistance marker genes (e.g., ampicillin) are destroyed in the manufacturing process.” In effect, the FDA extended calf rennet’s GRAS status to the bioengineered chymosin product. A few years later, FDA extended GRAS status to two other forms of bioengineered chymosin: that produced from Kluyveromyces marxianus var. lactis and Aspergillus niger var. awamori. In none of these approvals was FDA concerned with the process used to generate the chymosin.

View Pfizer’s patent application here: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4935370.html Scrolling midway down the page, under the paragraph headed “Preparation of RNA and Cloning of cDNA,” readers may note the first line which reads in part: “Total RNA from animal pituitaries was obtained from a local slaughterhouse…”

The writer points out this sentence because in an email exchange in 2012, an industry group described this first production of chymosin from E. coli as “synthetic.” The Pfizer application description for bioengineered chymosin begins with a natural (i.e., animal organ) source.

This interpretation and use of “synthetic” in how the recombinant process began in chymosin production also occurs in other places. For example, a 1993 International Dairy Journal article titled “Enzymes in Cheese Technology,” by P.F. Fox and L. Stepaniak article states:

“There would appear to be no reason why the rennet substitute saga should not be closed – an unlimited supply of high-quality rennet is now available. However, there is opposition from certain quarters to the use of chymosins from genetically engineered microorganisms. Microbial chymosin should be acceptable for the manufacture of ‘vegetarian’ cheese. However, the gene cloned in K. Lactis was isolated from calf gastric tissue and is, apparently, not acceptable to some vegetarians. As the gene cloned in E. coli was synthesized, this chymosin should be acceptable to vegetarians.”

Today, Chr. Hansen, the makers of bioengineered FPC Chy-Max®, uses the fungus Aspergillus niger. An employee of the company told The VRG in 2012 that “a calf gene was used” initially.

According to product data sheets, DSM makes its bioengineered FPC, Maxiren®, using the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis. DSM did not reply to our inquiries about use of a calf gene. According to the International Dairy Journal article cited above, it appears that a calf gene was also used initially to produce Maxiren®.

FPC, often labeled as “microbial rennet” or “vegetable rennet,” and described in product literature as “vegetarian,” is believed by those in the cheese industry to yield high-quality and good-tasting cheese indistinguishable from that produced through the use of calf rennet.

FPC does not, according to many in the cheese industry, yield sometimes bitter-tasting cheese which non-animal “microbial rennet” may yield especially if the cheese is aged for too long of a time. For these microbial rennets, in which a fermentation process is involved like the case of FPC production, the chymosin-like enzymes called acid proteinases are native to the microbes (fungi Rhizomucor miehei, R. pusillus and Endothia parasitica). According to an article published in 1996 in the journal Antonie van Leeuwenhoek titled “Acceleration of Cheese Ripening” by P.F. Fox et. al.: “The gene for the acid proteinase of R. miehei has also been cloned and expressed in A. oryzae, and the product is commercially available (Marzyme®…).” (A. oryzae is a fungus.)

Marzyme® manufactured by Danisco-DuPont is a non-animal microbial rennet that is commercially available today. A senior level employee at Danisco/DuPont told The VRG that “In consultation with our business unit leader, I can report the following: Animal genes were not ever used in the production of Marzyme®. It is a protease of microbial origin. No bovine genes or enzymes were used to develop Marzyme® or to produce Marzyme®.” (Specific details on the process, specifically if any non-animal genetic recombination of any type was done, are not available. A product data sheet on Marzyme™ Supreme specifies R. Miehei only.) A cheese supply company told The VRG that Marzyme® is less expensive that FPC. For example, in 2011, a five-gallon container of Marzyme® sells for approximately $312 while the same quantity of a FPC costs approximately one hundred dollars more.

Other microbial rennets which do not appear to have been produced through recombinant animal gene technology include Hannilase® by Chr. Hansen. R. miehei is used to produce Hannilase®. DSM produces Fromase® from R. miehei which is listed both as non-GMO and vegetarian. DSM also produces Suparen/Surecurd® derived from the fungus Cryphonectria parasitica and described as vegetarian in product literature.

More on FPC Terminology

The writer observed while working on this update that companies manufacturing bioengineered FPC produced originally through animal gene splicing use the phrase “microbial rennet” to describe their product. They refer to them as “acceptable to vegetarians.” They also use “non-GMO” or “GMO-free” to describe their products.

Likewise, companies producing microbial rennet that had not involved animal gene splicing use the same terms to describe their products. Some vegetarians may wish to know more information about the source of the “microbial” or “non-GMO” rennet in the cheese they wish to consume.

As of June 2012, FDA has not established a legal definition for what is “GMO” or “non-GMO.” Nor are there any mandatory rules for labeling products manufactured by genetic techniques or containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or their products. In the United States, there are voluntary guideline documents intended to assist companies with manufacturing and labeling issues involving GMOs. See the most recent one here:
http://www.fda.gov/food/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/guidancedocuments/foodlabelingnutrition/ucm059098.htm

In this document, FDA acknowledges concerns that people may have about bioengineered foods. However, except for a few cases listed in the document, (and bioengineered products such as FPC considered GRAS are notably not included), FDA does not see the need at this time to require labeling because, in most cases, the agency sees no threat to human health or public safety. Here is an excerpt:

“Most of the comments [to us] that addressed labeling requested mandatory disclosure of the fact that the food or its ingredients was bioengineered or was produced from bioengineered food. However, these comments did not provide data or other information regarding consequences to consumers from eating the foods or any other basis for FDA to find under section 201(n) of the act that such a disclosure was a material fact. Many of the comments expressed concern about possible long term consequences from consuming bioengineered foods, but they did not contend that any of the bioengineered foods already on the market have adverse health effects…The agency is still not aware of any data or other information that would form a basis for concluding that the fact that a food or its ingredients was produced using bioengineering is a material fact that must be disclosed under sections 403(a) and 201(n) of the act. FDA is therefore reaffirming its decision to not require special labeling of all bioengineered foods.”

By contrast, explicit definition and regulation about GMOs and products derived from them (such as FPC) have existed in the European Union (EU) since the 1990s. The regulations are very detailed and very extensive. GMOs that fall under the EU regulations include:

  • GMOs by themselves;
  • food and feed containing GMOs;
  • food and feed produced from or containing ingredients produced from GMOs.

The most recent EU document can be viewed here: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2003:268:0001:0023:EN:PDF

In our review of FPC produced by European companies who adhere to these guidelines and refer to their FPC products as “non-GMO,” it appears that FPC is exempt from labeling requirements. The process by which FPC is produced is included in the EU’s regulations as a GMO technique, so it may initially appear to some that FPC is a GMO product and subject to labeling.

(A partial list of those techniques in Annex IA is reprinted here and accessed http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:2001L0018:20080321:EN:PDF:

“Recombinant nucleic acid techniques involving the formation of new combinations
of genetic material by the insertion of nucleic acid molecules produced by whatever means outside an organism, into any virus, bacterial plasmid or other vector system and their incorporation into a host organism in which they do not naturally occur but in which they are capable of continued propagation…”)

FPC, it appears, is not considered “GMO” and subject to labeling requirements because it appears in foods as “a trace” below the 0.9% threshold which requires labeling and may be “technically unavoidable” to remove as demonstrated by the manufacturers requesting exemption. Companies manufacturing FPC label it “non-GMO.” Article 4 Part C on exemptions to labeling appears in this document: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2003:268:0024:0028:EN:PDF

However, a European group known as GMO Compass refers to chymosin produced through gene technology as “GM” (genetically modified) and contrasts it with “microbial rennet substitutes which are derived from non-GM microorganisms.” http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/database/enzymes/83.chymosin.html. GMO Compass states that chymosin produced through genetic technology is used to make European cheese (except in France and Austria). Presently, it does not have to be labeled at all.

The VRG wrote to the Association of Manufacturers and Formulators of Enzyme Products (AMFEP) based in Belgium in April 2012 about chymosin. Here is their response to our question: Is there a microbial rennet which has not been originally developed from a calf gene?

“‘Microbial rennet’ is the term commonly used for all milk coagulating enzymes from microorganisms, especially enzymes which are native to certain microorganisms, not a result of genetic modification. Protease from Rhizomucor miehei or Cryphonectria parasitica are examples and they are suitable, for example, for vegetarian cheese.

Chymosin, the classical animal-derived milk coagulant found in rennet, is also produced by means of microorganisms, e.g., genetically modified strains of Aspergillus niger. The chymosin gene inserted in the organism is in fact synthesized, not extracted from the animal…”

Wondering if AMFEP knew of a “synthetic” chymosin derived from non-living substances with no animal gene splicing ever involved, The VRG asked this group for further clarification in April 2012. As of this writing in June 2012, no response from AMFEP has been received. Given the organism cited by AMFEP to produce a “synthetic” chymosin, the writer wonders if the bioengineered Chy-Max® manufactured from A. niger is here described as “synthetic” by AMFEP. (The VRG was told by a Chr. Hansen employee that their FPC Chy-Max® was based on a calf gene initially.)

In recent telephone conversations and email exchanges with several enzyme companies, cheese companies, dairy groups, nonprofits, and FDA, the writer observed that there is no standard use of the terms “GMO product” or “non-GMO product.” An FDA employee wrote to us in July 2011: “It is not true that enzyme-modified cheeses…contain GMOs… Microbial rennet is chemically identical to that derived from calf stomach. The organisms modified to produce microbial rennet would be considered GMOs, but that’s where the GMO issue begins and ends.” The FDA employee declined to give further clarification on her statement when we asked.

Similarly, an employee of a major enzyme manufacturer, after he said that calf genetic material was removed and added to microbial genetic material, told The VRG in March of 2012 that “the resulting enzyme is non-GMO.”

The assertion that chymosin is non-GMO is not accurate according to some as we’ve seen (GMO Compass). The Non-GMO Project based in the United States, a nonprofit that certifies food products as non-GMO, maintains this position as well. The group told The VRG that chymosin is a “high-risk ingredient.” Listed in their Standards in Appendix A, Variance 4a, chymosin is “…one of the things we specifically wanted to make sure was NOT allowed through” [in a product that we declare to be non-GMO.] (emphasis added by the Non-GMO Project)
http://www.nongmoproject.org/product-verification/non-gmo-project-standard/

The Non-GMO Project told us that “If a cheese has our seal on it, the consumer can be assured that it does not have [bioengineered] chymosin.” The Introduction to their standards contains this group’s definitions of “GM” (1.3.3), “GMO” (1.3.4), and “non-GMO” (1.3.7) and are reprinted here:

GM: Genetically Modified or Genetic Modification—A term referring to products or processes employing gene splicing, gene modification, recombinant DNA technology, or transgenic technology, and referring to products of the gene-splicing process, either as inputs or as process elements.

GMO: A plant, animal, microorganism, or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified using recombinant DNA methods, also called gene splicing, gene modification, or transgenic technology…

Non-GMO: A plant, animal, or other organism or derivative of such an organism whose genetic structure has not been altered by gene splicing. A process or product that does not employ GM processes or inputs…”

Current FPC Use and Labeling in the United States

The VRG looked again in May 2012 at FPC used in the United States and learned from cheese companies, enzyme makers, and dairy groups who agreed that today approximately “90%” of all cheese made in the United States is made with FPC. Product data sheets or product literature on two major FPC products, Chy-Max® (manufactured by Chr. Hansen) and Maxiren® (manufactured by DSM), state that FPC is “vegetarian” and “non-GMO.”

Chy-Max®
These are several different types of Chy-Max®: Chy-Max® Plus, Extra, Ultra, and Special. The first three in the list are 100% chymosin. Chy-Max® Special is 80% chymosin and 20% bovine pepsin (another type of enzyme). According to the product data sheet on Chy-Max® Extra, it is “acceptable for the production of vegetarian cheeses.”

The newest addition to the Chy-Max® line of product is Chy-Max M®, developed using a camel gene. It is considered a second generation FPC, described by the company as coagulating milk five times faster than first generation FPCs and 25 times faster than microbial rennets developed from R. Miehei. The company calls this FPC “suitable for vegetarians.” As reported in FoodNavigator, Chy-Max M® increases cheese yield per quantity of milk and produces a better-tasting cheese with a prolonged shelf-life. http://www.foodnavigator.com/Financial-Industry/Chr-Hansen-to-launch-next-generation-cheese-coagulant

An announcement in the Journal of Dairy Science, Vol. 92 stated that “…chymosin from Camelus dromedarius (CC) has been obtained through heterologous expression in Aspergillus niger and is now commercially available as Chy-Max M® from Chr. Hansen.” It has GRAS status in the US. Information on the precise method by which the camel gene was obtained is not available although a patent application states that “extracts of camel abomasum (camel rennet comprising chymosin and pepsin) have been used to coagulate cow’s milk.” (“Abomasum” refers to the fourth stomach of a ruminant.) http://www.patentstorm.us/applications/20110008492/description.html

Chr. Hansen sent us a non-GMO statement for its Chy-Max®. The company uses European Union regulations (see above) regarding genetic modification. According to Chr. Hansen, “Legislation in the European Union states that a final food product must be labeled if it is a GMO itself, if it contains GMOs, or if it contains ingredients derived from GMOs.”

The company concludes that “Chy-Max® Extra does not contain GMOs and does not contain GM labeled raw materials…The use of Chy-Max® Extra does not trigger a GM labeling of the final food product.” Chr. Hansen’s position on GMO can be found on:
www.chr-hansen.com/About us/Policies and positions/Quality and product safety.

Chy-Max cannot be used in USDA Organic Cheese. According to a company statement, Chr. Hansen states:

“The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990 required the USDA to develop the National Organic Program (NOP). The NOP sets national standards for organically produced products. The NOP assures consumers that agricultural products labeled as organic meet consistent standards. The NOP regulation 7CFR205.105 lists allowed
and prohibited methods, substances and ingredients for use in organic production and handling.

As such, the Chr-Hansen, Inc. product, Chy-Max®, does not meet these requirements and cannot be used as an ingredient in or on processed products to be labeled as ‘100% Organic,’ ‘Organic,’ or ‘Made with Organic (specified ingredients).’”

Maxiren®
DSM produces a FPC called Maxiren®. DSM has not responded to our inquiries as of this writing. A German company which carries DSM products told The VRG in writing that “DSM confirms that Maxiren®®is a non-GMO product.” Maxiren® 600 KPO is made from Kluyveromyces lactis. Maxiren® Premium is made from “Kluyveromyces lactis mixed with a carboxypeptidase derived from a selected strain of Aspergillus niger. DSM product brochures describe Maxiren® as “vegetarian friendly.”

What Does FPC Mean for Cheese-Eating Vegetarians?

To the best of our knowledge and according to our observations, ingredient labels do not distinguish between FPC “microbial rennet” and the “microbial rennet” composed of an enzyme/enzyme mix produced without any gene technology or with non-animal recombinant gene technology. Likewise, “vegetable rennet” and “vegetarian rennet” may also mean that either FPC or a “naturally” derived microbial enzyme/mix was used. Any type of “microbial rennet” could be called “natural,” too. (Recall that FDA has not, as of June 2012, legally defined use of the term “natural.”)

When we asked cheese companies and restaurants about their “microbial rennet” we were told in all cases that the source of the “microbial rennet” was non-animal. Given that 90% of all US cheese is made with FPC according to several industry sources, the writer must conclude that most companies and restaurants are not aware of the animal gene splicing involved in FPC manufacture and/or consider FPC “vegetarian acceptable” as FPC product data sheets from the manufacturers state it is. Some vegetarians may agree that FPC is vegetarian while others may not.

We’ve also learned from doing this update that it must not be assumed that “non-GMO” chymosin implies “vegetarian.” Vegetarians should note that, according to several industry sources, 90% of all US cheese is made with FPC, a product of animal gene splicing, and it as well as the cheese produced by it are considered “non-GMO” by the companies that manufacture it. Some vegetarians may agree that “non-GMO” FPC is vegetarian while others may not.

According to the writer’s knowledge, FPC is not permitted in USDA Organic Cheese. There was a petition to allow the “bio-engineered form” of chymosin to be added to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (in products certified under the USDA Organic Program by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB)). The petition was denied because FPC was considered “bio-engineered” and thus unsuitable for inclusion in the USDA Organic Program which disallows the presence of such substances in USDA Organic products. As a panel member for the petition review said, “The NOSB has recommended that all organisms that have been genetically modified by [recombinant DNA] techniques be considered synthetic.” FPC was determined to be “synthetic.”

Furthermore, the panel members pointed out, “non-synthetic” cheese making enzymes (i.e., calf rennet, non-engineered microbial rennets) are available. (Rennet is an example of a non-agricultural substance that is allowed in organic food products when it is derived from calves or non-genetically altered microorganisms.) Technical Advisory Panel Reports concerning the petition to include FPC as an allowed substance in USDA Organic-certified foods can be accessed here: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5066977&acct=nopgeninfo

Another USDA document pointed out that GMOs are not permitted at all in USDA Organic foods and beverages. The USDA Deputy Director gives some indication of what the USDA means by “GMO” in describing the “excluded methods” in USDA Organic production:

“A variety of methods used to genetically modify organisms or influence their growth and development by means that are not possible under natural conditions or processes and are not considered compatible with organic production. Such methods include…recombinant DNA technology (including gene deletion, gene doubling, introducing a foreign gene, and changing the positions of genes when achieved by recombinant DNA technology).”
http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5096493

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including The Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements. Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

Readers may be interested in a blog post on cheeses used by Pizza Hut:
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2011issue1/2011_issue1_chymax.php

For more information on food processing methods and food ingredients and to purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, please visit our website at http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

For updates on ingredients and other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our e-newsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/

There are many ways to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group! Get our blog delivered right to your inbox: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheVRGBlog
Visit us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/VegResourceGrp
And like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thevegetarianresourcegroup

To support Vegetarian Resource Group research, please donate at http://www.vrg.org/donate




All Pizza Hut Cheeses Made with Chymax™, a Microbial Rennet 11

Posted on June 02, 2010 by The VRG Blog Editor

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

In February 2010, a reader asked us about the ingredients contained in The Natural™ pizza line at Pizza Hut. This line was first introduced in 2008 in test markets and then became nationwide in 2009. A purchasing manager at Pizza Hut told us that The Natural™ pizza line was discontinued from the national menu although it may still be available at certain Pizza Hut restaurants. Those that may carry it are franchises, not corporate-owned restaurants.

While inquiring into The Natural™ pizza line, we asked customer service representatives for an update on ingredient sources, especially since the Pizza Hut Ingredient Statement is no longer available on its website. The last information we received from Pizza Hut was in May 2007, when we were told by a Quality Assurance Specialist at the Dallas Pizza Hut headquarters that Pizza Hut cheeses were made with a non-animal enzyme.

We spoke with several people on the toll-free consumer line throughout February 2010 and received contradictory information. One time in mid-February, a representative told us that animal rennet was used to make the cheese.

The VRG found this information dubious considering what we were told in 2007 by Pizza Hut. Furthermore, we were told by several major enzyme manufacturers in 2008 that microbial rennet accounted for 80-95% of all enzymes used in cheese making in the United States. Thus we continued to research the question.

In May 2010, The VRG received confirmation through a source in management at the Pizza Hut corporate level, who had in turn been told in writing by the only supplier of all six varieties of its cheeses, that the enzyme used to make its cheese was microbial. Chymax™ is the brand name of the microbial fermentation product used to curdle the milk during cheese production. Our contact told us that his search lasted three months and led him to contact many companies along the supply chain, starting with the six from which Pizza Hut purchases its six cheese types, until he finally got to the cheese maker itself. He told The VRG that both corporate and franchised Pizza Hut restaurants must use companies chosen from an approved list of suppliers.

To cross-confirm what our Pizza Hut contact told us, The VRG contacted the senior product development specialist that sent the letter to our Pizza Hut contact. She confirmed that only Chymax™ is used to make its cheeses. She also stated that her company provides cheese to "the big three" quick-service chains in the United States as well as many other major restaurant chains. The company also sells its cheese to many major food service providers and food distributors, some of whom re-label the cheese using their own name.

Note: There is a specially-blended mix of Parmesan cheese and spices automatically sprinkled on all pizzas in Pizza Hut kitchens. Customers may request that it (known as "fairy dust" by staff) be left off.




Precision Fermentation: When Is It Vegan? 0

Posted on January 30, 2024 by The VRG Blog Editor

photo from the Good Food Institute

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

One of the latest trends in biotechnology is creating animal proteins, such as whey, casein, collagen, albumin, ovomucoid, heme, or lactoferrin from microbes. Often calling them vegan ingredients, several companies say their inventions can be used to make animal-free or cow-less milk, cheese, or a growing number of other foods and beverages. But will all consumers consider them vegan? To answer that, we need to look closely at their precision fermentation process.

What Is Precision Fermentation?

Precision fermentation is a high-tech version of the centuries-old process known simply as fermentation. It may also be called recombinant protein production although fats and carbohydrates (honey) can be made through this process, too. Precision fermentation is a type of synthetic biology or simply synbio. Genetic engineering is involved in precision fermentation.

In 2022, the global market size of precision fermentation was $1.93 billion. By 2032, it’s estimated to reach $63.85 billion.

Food, flavorings, and pharmaceuticals can be manufactured via precision fermentation. Meaty, fishy, or umami flavors are typical flavorings produced by this technique. Some examples of pharmaceuticals made by precision fermentation include: insulin, antibiotics, certain vaccines, and vitamins.

Traditionally, in fermentation to make wine or beer, for example, you add microorganisms to convert the sugars in grapes or grain into ethanol. Fermentation is used to make several other foods and beverages including pickles, tempeh, sourdough bread, or kombucha.

Precision fermentation also uses microbes to produce foods and beverages but with an added component: copies of genes, often from animals. Microorganisms used in precision fermentation could be yeast, algae, fungi, or bacteria. Animal-derived genes are permanently bioengineered into the microbes’ genetic code. What happens then?

As the microbes ferment a nutrient broth, they precisely churn out – like miniature factories – huge quantities of whatever the animal-derived genes direct them to produce

So is the manufactured whey made by microbes following the genetic instructions truly animal-free or cow-less? Looking back at the first time precision fermentation was ever used in food production helps give perspective.

Fermentation Produced Chymosin (FPC) Using Animal Genes

As The VRG reported in 2012, the first time genetic engineering via precision fermentation was used in the food industry was to produce chymosin, the active component of rennet, in 1990. Chymosin is the dairy enzyme that curdles milk during cheese production.

Employees of major enzyme manufacturers told us that decades ago, cells were taken from a live calf’s stomach lining. From those cells, the genetic blueprint for chymosin was isolated. That genetic code was inserted into a microbial genome (full set of a microbe’s genes). Since then, it has been reproduced by countless generations of microorganisms, all producing chymosin coded for by that genetic sequence via precision fermentation.

Cheese companies call and label cheese made with bovine gene-derived FPC both vegetarian and non-GMO. There may be disagreement with calling it either vegetarian or non-GMO as explained in our 2012 and 2021 articles.

The justification for this disagreement relies upon the fact that the animal’s genes involved in producing chymosin are essential to the animal’s existence. They are what makes her a calf. But not just any calf. They are her unique set. Without her genes, the calf would not be alive.

Genes are not like milk (a cow’s secretion that is not essential to her existence). If the calf’s genes were like milk, then maybe bovine gene-derived FPC cheese would more likely be vegetarian. Similarly, if one microbial species’ gene was inserted into another microbial species’ genome to produce microbial gene-derived chymosin, certainly the cheese produced from that chymosin would be vegetarian. Incidentally, there are companies that make this type of microbial gene-derived FPC. But bovine-derived FPC is the most common type on the market.

While it is true that a person does not eat bovine genes or the enzyme made by the bioengineered microbes when eating cheese since 90-95% of chymosin remains in the liquid whey (a byproduct of cheese production) and the microbes possessing the genes have been removed from the final cheese product, bovine genes are still used in the process of cheese production. In this sense, bovine genes are like an animal-derived processing aid. By definition, the use of a processing aid sourced from animals to make a food means that food is not vegetarian or vegan.

Cow’s Milk Allergy from Animal-Free Whey

You may think that if the bovine gene-derived whey was called “non-animal” or “animal-free” whey, people with cow’s milk allergies would not have an allergic reaction to it. But in reality they may.

For example, the company Perfect Day states on its website: “People with a milk allergy can still have an allergic reaction to animal-free whey protein and should avoid it just as they would avoid cow’s milk.”

So, there is something about all forms of whey that is allergenic, no matter if it’s produced in a fermentation vat or comes straight out of a cow. That “something” is obviously connected to it coming from a cow. It may be confusing, then, to refer to bioengineered whey by the term cow-free.

The name “non-animal whey protein” suggests the bioengineered whey is different from cow’s whey, potentially leading people to think it would not cause an allergic reaction. This is an assumption that could be problematic for some people.

Precision Fermentation Using Plant Genes

You may be wondering if anyone has tried precision fermentation using plant genes. The resulting genetically engineered ingredients would be vegan. There are companies innovating with precision fermentation in this way. They focus on whey and casein, the two animal proteins most commonly manufactured by precision fermentation.

Note: The VRG reached out to the companies profiled here through email and phone twice over a month’s time. We wanted to confirm that they use no animal genes at all in their precision fermentation. Neither responded. We asked them:

  1. Are there any animal proteins in your protein database used to create your ingredients?
  2. Do you use any virtual animal genetic material to direct the microbial fermentation used to create your ingredients?

Shiru

Using machine learning and bioinformatics, Shiru searches through vast databases of plant proteins to find those possessing desirable characteristics that food companies want. Properties that eggs have are a prime example. Egg’’ ability to gel (gelation), like in jelly, or foam like in meringue, are highly prized in cooking.

Shiru says, “Our database contains hundreds of millions of proteins from plants, fungi, and algae.” Once Shiru locates a plant protein(s) possessing the desired trait, they take the genes coding for them and insert them into a microbial genome. During fermentation, the microbes produce an abundance of those proteins.

The major advantage this production method has over traditional methods of growing plants is that it’s easily scalable, and, therefore, economically viable. In most cases, plants only have a small amount of a desired protein, so it could take years or vast land areas to harvest the same amount of protein that precision fermentation could yield in a day. Traditional farming costs a lot more, too.

Shiru has partnered with Puratos to scale up their ingredients to make egg replacers, test them in baked goods, and finally commercialize the top-performing ones. Along with CP Kelco, they’re collaborating to replace methylcellulose with plant proteins that function like a fat at room temperature. Methylcellulose is used as a gelling agent and emulsifier in many foods including meat alternatives.

Currently, methylcellulose is sourced from wood and processed using harsh methods, thus may not be appealing to shoppers. So companies want to replace it with something that is plant-sourced to avoid having to list methylcellulose on their package label.

Shiru is also working on finding plant proteins with functional qualities similar to those of gelatin and casein. Then they’d sell them to companies that would like to find replacements for these ingredients.

Climax Foods

Climax Foods’ Caseed is a casein replacement which mimics the meltability and stretchability of dairy cheese. Created through “precision formulation” using plant genes selected with AI, it appears there is nothing animal involved in it.

It’s not totally clear whether Climax Foods uses precision fermentation to produce Caseed. They did not respond to us. According to their press release, they use a “deep plant intelligence platform” searching its proprietary database of non-allergenic proteins found in seeds, legumes, and plant oils for those functionally equivalent to animal and dairy proteins.

In other words, according to Climax Foods, the taste, texture, and performance of Climax Foods’ cheeses are indistinguishable from dairy cheeses as well as from cheeses made using animal genes via precision fermentation. They are different from their dairy-based counterparts in that they do not share a genetic sequence similarity to dairy-based casein. So, Climax Foods’ cheeses are non-allergenic.

The targeted proteins are extracted from the plants and scaled. Thus far, precision-formulated Caseed is cheaper than cheeses made with animal genes. The goal is to make products made with Caseed less expensive than dairy.

In April 2023, Climax Foods announced a partnership with the Bel Group to create a vegan line of Bel cheeses.

Are There Any Advantages to Precision Fermentation?

By using precision fermentation to produce food, proponents hope to eliminate all the problems associated with intensive animal agriculture including:

  • High or fluctuating food prices
  • Food-borne illnesses
  • Risk of pandemics via animal vectors
  • Huge environmental footprints (carbon, water)
  • Biodiversity loss
  • Deforestation
  • Animal pain and suffering
  • Poor nutritional quality

Critics of precision fermentation raise several points against this form of “synbio”:

  • Culture media will use the GMO corn and soy currently used as food for livestock. Both crops are treated heavily with pesticides.
  • There will be huge quantities of waste (spent microbes, media) with no apparent use produced by this technique.
  • On a large scale, the concrete, steel, and plastic needed to construct the fermentation vats and the electricity needed to run them have environmental footprints that will likely rival those of conventional animal agriculture.
  • Even if there are fewer carbon emissions and decreased water usage from precision fermentation vs. conventional animal agriculture, other food production systems, such as regenerative agriculture or agrocology, may have greater long-term sustainability.

Recommendations on Knowing if Precision Fermentation Used

For those that don’t want products using precision fermentation, unfortunately, you cannot necessarily tell by looking at a food product whether precision fermentation was used to make it. Labels may not be clear.

Food and beverages certified USDA Organic have not been produced using precision fermentation.

For all other foods, you must rely on companies to tell you how their food was produced. Company websites will likely not explicitly describe how all the ingredients in their foods came to be. So, you must contact them. Be clear in how you phrase your question. Keep it simple.

Here is a question template you may use:

Was the [ingredient] in your [food product] made by microbes engineered with animal genes?

If you cannot get an answer, or are unsure of its veracity, you can look for a similar product from a company that is totally transparent about how its ingredients are made.

The contents of this posting, our website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own. Note that products, processes, and regulations continually change.

Support VRG research at www.vrg.org/donate or join at www.vrg.org/member




Ritz Original Crackers Contain Dairy? 0

Posted on August 08, 2023 by The VRG Blog Editor

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

The Vegetarian Resource Group noticed on a Kosher blog from October 2022 the following claim about Ritz Crackers:

“The O/U confirms that all Ritz Crackers (O/UD) contain real dairy and should not be eaten after or with meat. This is true even though there may be no obvious dairy ingredients listed on the packaging.”

We checked the Orthodox Union website to confirm. A search on its Products page for Ritz Crackers, turned up 27 results. All of the Nabisco Ritz Cracker varieties, including the original cracker, indicated the presence of dairy. They are certified as OU-D.

Some of the Ritz Crackers, such as the varieties with cheese or butter in their names, are clearly not vegan. But we wondered about the first entry, titled simply Ritz Crackers, also listed as containing dairy.

According to the Ritz Crackers website, the Original Ritz Crackers ingredients are listed as:

Unbleached enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate {vitamin B1}, riboflavin {vitamin B2}, folic acid), canola oil, palm oil, sugar, salt, leavening (calcium phosphate, baking soda), high fructose corn syrup, soy lecithin, natural flavor.

The only allergens listed on the package are wheat and soy.

Considering the ingredient sources, the only possible source of dairy seems to be the natural flavor. Although if dairy were present in the natural flavor, it seems it should be listed as an allergen along with wheat and soy. See the 2004 Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA). In an example given here https://www.fda.gov/media/163454/download the FDA lists “natural flavor (peanut)” on a package. Though this appears just to apply to proteins and cow’s milk, not other animal milks.

To clear up our confusion, The VRG reached out to Nabisco, the makers of Ritz Crackers, through their website contact form. Our first question read:

“We see online: ‘The O/U confirms that all Ritz Crackers (O/UD) contain real dairy and should not be eaten after or with meat. This is true even though there may be no obvious dairy ingredients listed on the packaging.’ What is the dairy ingredient? Thank you.”

The next day, The VRG received the following response from a customer service representative at Mondelez International, the company which owns Nabisco:

“…The best source of information is the product packaging. Our ingredients are subject to change based on supplier availability and we are unable to keep an exact ingredient list on file for all of our products. If milk or dairy are included in our products, in any amount, it will be listed in the ingredient statement. We ask that our consumers take the time to check the ingredient statement prior to purchasing a product.

Terms in an ingredient statement that would indicate the presence of cow’s milk protein can include but are not limited to:

butter fat
butter flavor
butter solids
buttermilk
butterscotch
calcium lactate
casein
caseinate
cheese (all varieties)
cream
cream cheese
curds
dairy flavor
delactosed whey
demineralized whey
dry milk solids
enzyme modified cheese
half & half
lactalbumin
lactose
malted milk
milk chocolate
milk derivative
milk protein concentrate
milk solids
modified butter flavor
natural cheese flavor
nonfat dry milk
reduced lactose
rennet
skim milk
sodium calcium caseinate
sodium caseinate
sour cream
sour cream solids
sour milk solids
whey
whey protein
yogurt

Since this was not a direct response to our question about the Ritz Original Crackers, we tried again through the website contact form. This time, we simply asked:

“Are the sources of the natural flavor in the Ritz Original Crackers from animals or dairy?”

We didn’t hear back, so called. But the consumer person was unable to tell us the source of the natural flavors.

We noticed that some store brand crackers similar to Ritz had natural flavors and were O/U Pareve, meaning the product did not have dairy, and the natural flavors would not be from dairy.

We emailed the certifying agency Orthodox Union (O/U). They told us

“As a kashrus agency, it is our responsibility to verify every single flavor and every component within a flavor. The primary method that this is done is very simple – the company must get every ingredient from a verified source. If their choice is a blend that includes any dairy, the resulting formula will be dairy. If they choose a blend that does not contain dairy, it will be Pareve. If they choose to create their own flavor, they will submit a full list of every single component of the flavor – this can be dozens of ingredients, which is then reviewed by our ingredient research department. The company will then be given a choice of approved sources for these ingredients. Our Rabbinic Field Representatives are tasked with verifying that these ingredients are only coming from approved sources, by doing unannounced inspections. We are very aware of every single ingredient and non-ingredient that is used in every production. Different companies get different designations based on what ingredients they choose to use. The other brands do not use the same ingredients as Ritz, therefore they have a different designation.

If a product lists dairy ingredients on the ingredient panel, it is obviously dairy. Some common dairy ingredients are Milk, Yogurt, Cheese, Cream, Butter, Whey, Lactose, Casein, and Caseinate. However, a product may contain a dairy ingredient that is not listed on the ingredient panel such as those present in the product’s unspecified ingredient ‘flavors’. Due to these concerns it is not entirely possible to determine the dairy status of a product based solely on the listed ingredients.

Please see the below links of articles for more information as to the reason one may not rely on labeling alone:

https://farrp.unl.edu/resources/gi-fas/opinion-and-summaries/dairy-free-and-non-dairy
https://oukosher.org/halacha-yomis/sodium-caseinate-is-often-an-ingredient-in-non-dairy-coffee-creamers-i-know-that-sodium-caseinate-is-a-milk-derivative-how-can-a-product-be-labeled-non-dairy-if-it-contains-sodium

At times, consumers inquire about the source of a dairy ingredient. Unfortunately, the OU is unable to divulge this information, as a manufacturers source of supply is proprietary information. We are bound, both legally and morally, to maintain this confidentiality. We can assure consumers that the supervision and classification of the products is according to the OU standards.”

Though Ritz has not told us that the natural flavors or other ingredients are dairy, and the OU is unable to tell us the source of the dairy ingredient, for those who are concerned, you may want to depend on the OU/D designation. We have seen this on the Ritz package. Here is information about OU/D: https://oukosher.org/blog/industrial-kosher/all-ou-symbols-explained/. Note there is also an OU/DE

symbol for items made on dairy equipment. Here is a definition of pareve, which can also be helpful, but be aware it doesn’t mean the product is necessarily vegan, since it can contain egg or fish: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3694185/jewish/What-Is-Parve-Pareve.htm

Also, interestingly, on the Canadian website https://www.snackworks.ca/en/product/00066721002204

natural flavors is not listed as an ingredient in Ritz Crackers as of July 13, 2023. However, on an Amazon website, natural flavors were listed in a Ritz cracker imported from Canada. See: https://www.amazon.com/Ritz-Original-Gram-Pack-Canada/dp/B017TXGM8Y

The contents of this posting, our website and our other publications, including Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.




  • Donate

  • Subscribe to the blog by RSS

  • VRG-NEWS

    Sign up for our newsletter to receive recipes, ingredient information, reviews of new products, announcements of new books, free samples of products, and other VRG materials.

    Your E-mail address:
    Your Name (optional):



↑ Top