Chymax
Encyclopedia
Chymax is a bio-engineered rennet
substitute used in cheese
s developed by Pfizer
and marketed by Chr. Hansen
. It contains a synthetic version of chymosin
, an enzyme that causes milk
to curdle. It is produced by a variety of mold
and is generally recognized as not being an animal
derived product and as such is suitable for consumption by vegetarians.
Rennet
Rennet is a complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest the mother's milk, and is often used in the production of cheese. Rennet contains many enzymes, including a proteolytic enzyme that coagulates the milk, causing it to separate into solids and liquid...
substitute used in cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
s developed by Pfizer
Pfizer
Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
and marketed by Chr. Hansen
Chr. Hansen
Chr. Hansen A/S is a global company based in Denmark which produces natural ingredients to the food, beverage, dietary supplements, and agricultural industries. The company is a leading supplier of food cultures, probiotics, enzymes and natural colors...
. It contains a synthetic version of chymosin
Chymosin
Chymosin or rennin is an enzyme found in rennet. It is produced by cows in the lining of the abomasum...
, an enzyme that causes milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
to curdle. It is produced by a variety of mold
Mold
Molds are fungi that grow in the form of multicellular filaments called hyphae. Molds are not considered to be microbes but microscopic fungi that grow as single cells called yeasts...
and is generally recognized as not being an animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
derived product and as such is suitable for consumption by vegetarians.