Are all cheese Halal?
Ingredients called enzymes are needed to make cheese. Three enzymes used to make cheese are pepsin, lipase and rennet. These enzymes can be from animal, vegetable or microbial sources. Animal sources include pigs and cattle. Pepsin is derived from pigs, and is Haram. Lipase derived from pigs or cattle are Haram. Lipase from cattle slaughtered according to Islamic requirements or lipase produced by micro-organisms is Halal. Rennet is derived from the stomach of calves. If the calf was slaughtered according to Islamic requirements, the rennet is Halal. Microbial enzymes are not derived from meat and are Halal. Cheese products manufactured with microbial/bacterial cultures are Halal. Most cheese products do not list the source of the enzyme. Call the food manufacturer to find out the source of the enzyme. In addition, it is possible that the source may change without notification.
