Bushra Griffith
Mozzarella is a versatile and delicious cheese with a natural stretch that allows it to be pulled and kneaded into a stringy texture. It is made with ingredients such as pasteurised milk, cultures, salt, and enzymes. Some mozzarella is made with animal rennet, but some is made with vegetable or microbial enzymes and will be labelled as 'vegetarian-friendly'. Thistle enzymes, for example, are used in the Mediterranean to make mozzarella, as well as feta and ricotta.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of cheese | Mozzarella |
| Type of enzyme | Vegetable rennet |
| Other names | Microbial rennet or enzyme |
| Cheese types made with vegetable rennet | Feta, mozzarella, ricotta |
| Cheese types made with microbial rennet | Cabot, Polly0 |
| Other ingredients | Pasteurized milk, cultures, salt |
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What You'll Learn
Mozzarella made with thistle enzymes
Mozzarella is the only type of cheese with a natural stretch, allowing it to be pulled and kneaded into a stringy texture. It is made from pasteurised milk, cultures, salt, and enzymes.
Mozzarella can be made from either buffalo or cow's milk. Buffalo milk mozzarella produced using natural whey starter cultures has higher microbial diversity with lower psychrotrophic bacteria. Cow mozzarella prepared using commercial starters has a high count of S. thermophilus and consequently has greater levels of galactose and phenylalanine. Cow milk mozzarella made using the direct acidification method has lower microbial count and higher levels of urea and sugars.
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Mozzarella made with microbial enzymes
Mozzarella can be made from either buffalo or cow milk. Buffalo milk mozzarella produced using natural whey starter cultures has higher microbial diversity with lower psychrotrophic bacteria. Cow mozzarella prepared using commercial starters has a high count of S. thermophilus and consequently has greater levels of galactose and phenylalanine. Cow milk mozzarella made using the direct acidification method has a lower microbial count and higher levels of urea and sugars.
Microbial enzymes are also used in other cheeses, such as Cabot cheese. Polly-O mozzarella used to be made with microbial enzymes, but it is unclear if this is still the case.
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Mozzarella made with animal rennet
Some cheeses, such as mozzarella, are made with animal rennet. However, it is important to note that not all mozzarella is made with animal rennet. Some mozzarella is made with vegetable rennet, which is derived solely from vegetables and is suitable for vegetarians.
Vegetable rennet is made from plants such as fig tree bark, nettles, cardoon thistles, mallow, and ground ivy. Thistle, a plant with purple or white flowers, is commonly used in the Mediterranean to make cheeses such as feta, mozzarella, and ricotta.
It can be difficult to determine whether a cheese is made with animal or vegetable rennet, as this information is not always clearly labelled. Cheeses made with animal rennet may not be explicitly stated on the packaging. However, cheeses made with vegetable rennet will often be labelled as "Vegetarian Friendly" or "Suitable for Vegetarians". Therefore, it is important to carefully read the labels and, if necessary, contact the manufacturer to inquire about the source of the rennet.
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Mozzarella made with microbial rennet
Microbial rennet is a vegetarian cheese enzyme that does not contain animal products. It is derived solely from vegetables, and certain cultures have used fig tree bark, nettles, cardoon thistles, mallow and ground ivy or creeping Charlie to make it.
Some mozzarella cheeses may use a combination of microbial and animal rennet, so it is important to read the labels carefully. For example, one source mentions Polly-O mozzarella as a brand that used to be safe for vegetarians, but the user is no longer confident about this.
When it comes to the microbial content of mozzarella, there are differences between buffalo milk mozzarella and cow milk mozzarella. Buffalo milk mozzarella produced using natural whey starter cultures exhibited higher microbial diversity with lower psychrotrophic bacteria. Cow milk mozzarella, on the other hand, tends to have higher counts of S. thermophilus, resulting in greater levels of galactose and phenylalanine.
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Mozzarella made with whey starter cultures
Mozzarella is a type of cheese with a natural stretch, which allows it to be pulled and kneaded into a stringy texture. It is made from pasteurised milk, cultures, salt and enzymes.
Some mozzarella is made with vegetable enzymes, which are derived solely from vegetables and are therefore considered vegetarian. Thistle enzymes, for example, are used in the Mediterranean to make mozzarella, as well as feta and ricotta. Thistle is a spiky plant with purple or white flowers.
Some cheeses use animal rennet that will not be called out as such on a label or ingredient statement. However, cheeses that use only vegetable or microbial-sourced enzymes will self-identify on the packaging as 'Vegetarian Friendly/Suitable'.
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Frequently asked questions
Mozzarella is a type of cheese with a natural stretch, allowing it to be pulled and kneaded into a stringy texture.
Mozzarella is made from pasteurised milk, cultures, salt, and enzymes.
Enzymes are either animal or vegetable-based. Vegetable enzymes are derived solely from vegetables and are therefore considered vegetarian.
Mozzarella cheese made with vegetable enzymes will be labelled as 'Vegetarian Friendly/Suitable'.
Other cheeses that are made with vegetable enzymes include feta and ricotta.
