Rennet - Is It An Enzyme?

[umgowa]

I am very new so forgive the naivete of this question  I was just looking at a bunch of cheeses in the store.  The ingredients were all pretty much the same.  They either said "Milk, salt, cultures and Rennet"  or they said "Milk, salt, cultures and enzymes."    My question is this:  Since "rennet" and "enzymes" are the two words that were constantly interchanged, are they basically the same?  Is rennet an enzyme?

[linuxboy]

The simple answer is yes, it is. The complicated answer is that rennet may contain several enzymes, such as rennin and pepsin.

[umgowa]

Thanks.  I'm trying to get an understanding of what goes on when they make up the labels  for the cheese being sold.  So , since rennet is an enzyme, both labels are essentially saying the same thing.  Some are just being more specific in stating what the specific enzyme is, ie. rennet.  Are there any other enzymes besides rennet that are routinely put in cheeses?

[linuxboy]

Well, in a pedantic way, rennet is not technically an enzyme. Rennin, aka chymosin, is an enzyme. The name rennet was given originally to animal rennet, which contains at least pepsin and chymosin.

You are right, the labels are saying the same thing. Pepsin and chymosin are the two most common enzymes used in cheese. You can buy rennet with various pepsin percentages based on the type of cheese you're making.

[Sailor Con Queso]

Besides rennet, Lipase is the most common enzyme additive. Many Italian types use Lipase.

Lipase hydrolyzes lipids to form fatty acids and glycerol.