Is whey vegeterian and does it contain rennet?
I have a chocolate bar that lists whey (milk) but im not sure if whey is cheese and also im not sure if whey can contain rennet which isnt suitable for vegeterians?
By: Sally
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Filed under Vegetarian & Vegan by on Dec 24th, 2009. 
Comments on Is whey vegeterian and does it contain rennet?
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Whey is a component of milk. And no, it does not contain rennet. Rennet is used in cheese making. And, it depends on what kind of vegetarian your are. Vegans, for example, can not eat whey. A Lacto-Vegetarian or a Lacto-Ovo vegetarian can eat whey.
If you have ever made clarified butter, whey is the foam that forms on top of the melted butter.
Rennet is an acid that causes milk to coagulate. The coagulated milk (or curds) is used to make cheese. Rennet is made from the stomach acid of calves, but there are vegan friendly rennets available.
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Whey may contain rennet. If you want to make sure you are not eating meat in a dairy product look for the K or the Hebrew letter K that means the food is certified Kosher. Most packaged food is certified Kosher, unless of course, it is not.
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whey is the left over liquid after cheese is made. It is still faily high in protein and many times used as a supplement for hard core body builders.
rennet is a digestive enzyme harvested from the lining of cow stomach
Since whey is left from cheese making, it may well still contain rennet.
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Whey is the liquid part of milk left over from cheese and yogurt making, and it does not contain rennet. It is vegetarian.