Can cheese be considered vegetarian?
Everett Coldwell
ricotta) contain an ingrediant called rennet. Rennet is an enzyme found
in the lining of young cow's stomachs. Unlike milk, this is extracted
from a killed animal.
Unknowingly she has been eating cheese for the last year and a half,
since moving to Canada from India. Now she feels that she should not be
taking cheese. This saddens me somewhat as she really did enjoy it
(especially on pizza!)
She follows the traditianal form of Hindu vegetarian diet, but eats eggs
and takes milk and other dairy products.
What have others decided as far as cheese is concerned? Can I justify
to her that cheese is OK to eat?
Sunil Gokhale
>(Everett Coldwell) writes:
>Recently, my wife has discovered that most types of cheese (except
>ricotta) contain an ingrediant called rennet. Rennet is an enzyme found
>in the lining of young cow's stomachs. Unlike milk, this is extracted
>from a killed animal.
>She follows the traditianal form of Hindu vegetarian diet, but eats eggs
>and takes milk and other dairy products.
>
>What have others decided as far as cheese is concerned? Can I justify
>to her that cheese is OK to eat?
>
>eve...@agcrr.bio.ns.ca
>
Those who eat only vegetarian food, do so not because they have any
major problems with animal protein, but because they do not want a
living being killed to satisfy their hunger.
If that is the criterion, then a cheese made via Rennet is in the same
catagory as regualar meet.
Hence it is upto each vegetarian person to decide as to how 'strict'
he/she wants to be. Nobody else can justify if it is 'OK' or not.
If someone has very strong feelings on this matter then that perosn
can stop eating cheese without even thinking twice about it.
I am a vegetarian by choice and trying to stop eating cheese. But it
is very hard, because you run into trouble every time you want to
eat out of your home. I guess I don't have strong 'feelings' yet!
I also remember reading a similar letter in an Indian magazine.
Apperently all/most of the different chesses made in India are free
from Rennet.
---------------------------------
Now a little digression:
These days animal protein is in the news. What is the conventional
wisdom on that?
Also, what do 'pure' vegetarians (shall I say 'herbivorous?) think
about wearing leather footware?
Sunil Gokhale
sunog...@lynx.northeastern.edu