Page 28 - April 2024

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The Evolution of Cheese:

From Ancient Origins to Questionable Modern Innovations

Cheesemaking traces back to ancient Honing in on the last type of rennet
Greek mythology, with evidence of its listed, FPC was created by the well known

practice found in Egyptian tomb murals biopharmaceutical company, Pfizer. Trade
over 4000 years old. One theory suggests named Sure-Curd, the microbial rennet
that cheese was discovered accidentally FPC has been approved by the Federal

through the practice of storing milk in Standards of Identity for use in Cheddar,
containers made from animal stomachs. Colby, Swiss and other cheeses. This

Rennet, an enzyme found in the process is done by using CRISPR gene
stomachs of ruminant animals, led to editing technology where the genomes of
milk coagulation, separating it into curds living organisms are modified.

and whey.
The process works like this: scientists

Traditionally, cheese was made with 4 take the gene responsible for producing
simple ingredients; Milk, salt, starter rennet from an animal’s DNA and put
culture, and animal rennet. Animal it into the DNA of bacteria, yeast, or

rennet is used to assist with the process mold. This is called gene splicing. Once
of curdling the milk into cheese and the gene is in the new host cell, it starts

divide the solid entities from the liquids. making the chymosin enzyme. Then, the
host culture is grown and fermented.
When it comes to producing cheese in

more recent decades, there have been These methods are pretty new. They got
shortcuts made. There are 3 other popular in the 1980s when the US Supreme

types of rennet other than animal. They Court decided that companies could
include vegetable rennet, microbial patent new life forms. Then, in 1990, the
rennet, and FPC (a GMO version). FDA allowed the use of this bioengineered

product in food for the first time in the U.S.

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