Rennet - properties and uses. What effect does it have on the human body?

Rennet is a complexorganic matter that is produced in the stomach of calves, lambs and other newborn cattle. As is known, such a substance contributes to the breakdown and processing of milk of the mother who consumes the young. It should be particularly noted that this enzyme cannot be obtained artificially. In this regard, it is quite expensive, but very effective in the preparation of dairy products.

Independent extraction and drying of the enzyme

If you want to make homemade cheese orcottage cheese with the use of such a product, it can be purchased at the pharmacy. As a rule, the ingredient is sold in the form of light gray or white powder, which has neither smell nor color. It should also be noted that in pharmacy chains it is sold extremely rarely. Thus, in the absence of a factory-made product, rennet can be prepared at home. To do this, remove the rennet after slaughtering a calf or lamb should be cleaned, and tie the ends of the holes, inflate with air and leave for several days in the shade or in a warm room (at 18-20 degrees). Next, the dried product should be wrapped in dark paper and stored until direct use. For the preparation of cheese or cottage cheese such an enzyme is desirable to use after 2-4 months after drying, because mucus may appear from the fresh ingredient in the solution used.

What role does rennet play in the production of cheese and other dairy products?

Rennet is often used tomaking cheeses. Indeed, during the production of this product requires the rapid separation of the protein components of fresh milk drink from whey. As is known, such a substance of animal origin consists of two elements: pepsin and chymosin. And thanks to these components, rennet acts as a kind of catalyst in the preparation of tasty and delicate cheese. After all, it is his addition that quickly concocts milk by separating protein components from whey.

Is it profitable for manufacturers?

Although such a component isexpensive, it is actively used by producers of dairy products. After all, cheese without rennet is less tasty and tender. In addition, the process of curdling milk using this substance is much faster, which allows for much more production.

It should also be noted that rennet is notIt has absolutely no effect on the organoleptic properties of the final product. In other words, the cheese made with the use of this substance does not change in color, in taste and remains fragrant. By the way, by the appearance of the dairy product it is completely impossible to understand whether it was made using an enzyme or not.

How are cheeses made?

After the rennet is added tomilk, it is converted into a dense clot. In this case, the serum is separated from the protein component. If at this stage the production is stopped, then you will get very tasty cottage cheese. If you want to make a hard and fragrant cheese, then the grain, which has reached a certain percentage of moisture, should be put into a mold with openings for dripping whey, and then compressed and sent for pickling. In the brine, the formed bars should be about 10 days, after which they must be laid out on the shelves for full maturity (approximately 3 weeks).

Rennet: Is it harmful to the body?

As mentioned above, quite difficultdetermine if a particular cheese is made using this substance. Indeed, in the composition of the product such an enzyme you will never find. This is due to the fact that abomasum is not found in cheese or cottage cheese, as it is used only for currying milk. However, it should be noted that due to the complexity of its extraction from the stomachs of young calves, lambs and kids, since the early 1990s, they began to produce a similar enzyme (rennin) as a result of gene biotechnology. Its principle of manufacture is approximately as follows: its gene is extracted from an animal, which is copied millions of times. After that, they are placed in a bacterial environment, where they are artificially grown. At present, the effect on the body of products obtained by genetic engineering remains unexplained. In this regard, it is difficult to say whether such an enzyme is harmful or not.

What to replace the rennet?

Currently there are severalrennet enzymes, which are actively used for the preparation of various cheeses and cottage cheese. Their use is also popular among dairy producers. For example, in Italy, in addition to rennet rennet, other enzymes are used to create flavored cheeses, which are produced by the tonsils of lambs, kids or calves. Such substances give the product a specific savory taste, highly appreciated by gourmets.

It is also worth noting that the usenon-animal substances during the preparation of cheeses allows them to use and supporters of vegetarianism. Thus, in the 1960s, scientists isolated the strains of the fungi Mucor miehei and Mucor pusilus, which synthesized suitable enzymes, but with little activity. A little later, methods for producing similar substances from Bacillus licheniformis, Pseudomonas mixoides, Edothea parasitica, etc. were developed. Three decades later, with the development of gene biotechnology, rennin, which was produced by bacteria of the young calf gene, was actively used for the production of cheese. As you know, it has greater purity, stability and activity than natural abomasum. Currently, using this component produces more than 60% of hard cheeses.

Among other things, today there arevegetable substitutes for rennet. So, instead of it use fig juice or starter grass. However, in large-scale production of dairy products such enzymes are used extremely rarely.