Vegetarians and cheese

[tcrum]

I'm a brand new vegetarian, and I've been reading a lot lately. I read that cheese isn't vegetarian b/c it has animal rennet in it, but that some vegetarians eat non-vegetarian cheese anyway. Is that b/c they don't know that cheese that isn't vegetarian contains an animal product, or is it that they just choose to make an exception for cheese?

The reason I'm asking is I'm still in the process of deciding "how far" I'm going to go w/my new diet. I know it's a personal decision, and eventually I do want to be vegan. But in the meantime should I avoid non-veg cheese?

[BlindLemonPep'r]

Look up vegetarian, lacto-ovo vegetarian, and vegan to get a definition of them and it should start to make sense.

[Delano]

Personally, I wouldn't consider someone who eats cheese containing animal-derived rennet a vegetarian. Ignorance isn't really an excuse either. <.<;

If I have to go to the lengths to make sure the cheese I'm eating is animal-free, then why shouldn't they, eh?

[faded_amaranth]

Some don't know, some don't think it's important, and there's probably other reasons.

Rennet is a byproduct of the dairy, veal, and lamb industries, and the animals aren't killed for the rennet, and that's why some people don't have a problem with it.

There are many cheeses that don't use animal rennet or don't use rennet at all. Do what you think is right, but if an omni asks explain why most consider animal rennet not veg.

Congrats on going veg, and good luck becoming a vegan!

[bluesand]

Well you get ova , lacto ,and vegan , all are welcome on the VB boards Its up to you to work out what level you want to start and where your goals are , in yours , it seems to be vegan

There are so many different views on that area on the board . If you want to be vegan , maybe just phase out cheese slowly and try not to analyze to much .

P.S. I am lacto , and eat the vegetable rennet cheese . The difference is that the rennet (or coagulant ) is vegetable and not animal <which comes from the stomach of a calf

Some who eat the veggie rennet cheese then use the reasoning ,that what they are consuming , the animal is not directly killed

Others have the rennet (animal) type , every one draws there own line in the sand .

[Chrysalis]

I think it's a personal choice. Obviously a line must be drawn somewhere, and the rennet/cheese thing is one of those fuzzy ones that becomes more about technicalities than anything else. Are you more concerned about what causes the greatest harm, or what is 'technically' considered to be vegetarian? I myself think that if you need to go to great lengths to avoid cheese that contains rennet, it makes more sense to just avoid cheese altogether considering it is cruel either way. So basically I avoid cheese. If I slip up and eat some, it doesn't matter to me if rennet is in it, since I screwed up either way, if that makes sense. I don't really care if people think I'm less of a vegetarian for it. Personally I don't see the point in seeking out rennet-less cheese and gelatin-free yogurt when the items themselves are harmful, but that's just me. Btw I'm still ovo-lacto, just so no one thinks this is some sort of vegan conversion post. I think it's great that people try to reduce harm in whatever way they feel most comfortable doing.