What is Rennet?

Rennet is a coagulation enzyme used to coagulate milk and produce cheese. It is a mixture of the enzymes chymosin and pepsin.'

This rennet enzyme can be obtained in a number of ways:

• beastly
• microbiological
• vegetable

Coagulation with lemon juice is also possible for traditional specialties, but this gives the product a different, characteristic taste and therefore cannot be used for all cheese and milk specialties.

There is no labeling obligation for the rennet used in Germany. However, if the manufacturer indicates the origin of the rennet on its product, then this is a voluntary indication, which is mostly aimed at vegetarians or certain religious groups.

Animal Rennet

Animal rennet (also called natural rennet) is obtained from the abomasum of young ruminants, mostly calves, sheep or goats. The animal's stomach is cleaned, dried and chopped up. The rennet enzyme (chymosin and pepsin) is then extracted from the abomasum using an extraction solution. This mixture of enzymes breaks down the casein (milk protein), which thickens the milk without turning sour.
Just 20 ml of animal rennet is sufficient to thicken around 100 liters of milk, which is why animal rennet is used in around 35% of all cheese products worldwide.

 

Microbial Rennet

Microbial rennet (or rennet substitute) is normally not obtained from animal sources, but from microbiologically produced coagulation enzymes. Here, the enzyme is extracted from molds.
Genetic engineering of microbial rennet is also possible. The genes from calves, which are responsible for the production of eggs, are transferred to the moulds. This increases the chymosin content and the necessary coagulation enzyme can be extracted from the mushrooms. Microbial rennet already has a market share of more than 50%.

However, the problem with microbial rennet is that the breeding ground for the microorganisms can be of animal origin. Nutrients are usually made from starchy or sugary gelled components, and the jelly can be made from either gelatine or vegetable matter. However, the fatawa of Diyanet (the Office of Religious Affairs in Turkey) confirms that this microbial rennet can be considered pure, since an Istikhala (complete change of state) is certain to arrive, altering the nature of the originally animal matter.^[1]

 

Vegetable Rennet

Various types of plants also contain substances that can cause milk to curdle. These substances can be taken from cleavers, figs, papaya or artichokes.
However, since the vegetable rennet is used more in special and traditional cheese specialties and changes the taste of the cheese, it is hardly ever used in Germany.

 

Sweet Whey Powder

If you coagulate milk and rennet for cheese production, you speak of sweet whey. This means that whey powder and sweet whey powder can be made from microbial, animal or vegetable rennet. In order to find out the origin, one should inquire with the respective manufacturer.

 

 

Is Rennet Halal?

While vegetable, microbial and animal rennet from halal slaughtered animals are classified as halal, there are different views on animal rennet from non-halal slaughtered animals. According to the majority of the scholars of the Malikite and Shafiite school of law, animal rennet from animals not halal slaughtered is classified as impure. The type of animal does not matter, because the rennet from the animal's stomach is also considered unclean because it comes from an unclean animal (not slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines). They base this judgment on the 3rd verse of Sura Al-Maida [5:3]:
"You are forbidden (to eat) dead things, blood, pork and that about which another (name) than Allah(s) has been invoked [...]"

To the argument that the Prophet Muhammad (Sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam) also consumed cheese from non-Muslims (Abu Dawud, 3323), they reply that the Messenger of Allah did not ask where the cheese came from and assumed that that it is from Christians.

The majority of Hanafi scholars, on the other hand, classify animal rennet from non-halal animals as pure, since the enzymes in rennet do not die when the animal dies. Further evidence that the rennet is considered pure is the Sahaba tradition that both the Prophet Muhammad (Sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam) and the Sahaba, including Omar bin Hattab, consumed cheese made by non-Muslims.^[2] Cheese made from animal rennet is also considered pure because only a small amount of rennet is mixed with a lot of milk during the cheese-making process, eliminating the impurity of the rennet. Furthermore, the complete change of state (istikhala) of the rennet is considered, since the original state changes when the rennet is made into cheese.^[3]

 

Imam Ahmad, to whom the Hanbali school of law can be traced back, has two different opinions regarding animal rennet from non-halal slaughtered animals. According to one of his two opinions, he also shares the view of Abu Hanifa and classifies the animal rennet as pure. According to his other opinion, he classifies the animal rennet as impure like Imam Malik and Imam Shafiee.

In summary, it can be said that animal rennet from animals that have not been halal slaughtered is assessed differently and can be classified as suspicious for the first time. Every Muslim consumer should therefore decide for themselves whether they want to consume animal rennet and, if necessary, they should inquire with a scholar.

 

 

Individual Proofs

1. The letter (in Turkish) can be forwarded upon request
2. Kâsâni, Bedâiu's-sanâî, I, 77
3. Ahmed Refîs, el-Et'imetü'l- musannaatü'l-hadise, S. 390

 

Reference

• Lab und Labaustauschstoffe
• Wiki/Lab
• Spuren von Lab
• Wiki/Molke und Süßmolke
• trk: "Ist tierisches Lab halal?"
• Cheeses made with enzymes taken from animals that are not slaughtered Islamically
• Fatawa zu tierischem Lab
• Fatawa: Cayiroglu Yüksel: Islâm Hukuku'na Göre Helâl Gida (Halal-Speise nach islamischen Richtlinien, Dr. Yüksel Cayiroglu)