Feta cheese is a distinct cheese that comes from Greece, you can often find it in block or crumble form at your local grocery store but, can vegetarians or vegans eat feta cheese?
Vegetarians can eat feta cheese as long as it doesn’t contain any questionable animal-derived ingredients. Vegans on the other hand can not eat feta cheese that has been made from dairy products but, they can enjoy the number of vegan feta cheeses available.
Table of Contents
Can Vegetarians Eat Feta Cheese
Vegetarians can eat feta cheese as long as the cheese is not made with any other animal products besides the milk used for the cheese.
Can Vegans Eat Feta Cheese
Vegans can not eat traditional feta cheese since they do not consume any animal products or products where an animal has been harmed.
Fortunately, there is now vegan-friendly feta cheese on the market that does not contain animal products.
Is Feta Cheese Plant-Based
People that follow a plant-based diet usually eat a diet that is full of fruit, vegetables, grains with some meat and dairy.
Most plant-based diets limit the number of processed foods that are consumed.
Since a plant-based diet can include dairy, feta can be included in moderation.
Why Wouldn’t Feta Cheese Be Vegetarian?
Some feta cheese is made with animal-derived ingredients besides the dairy that many vegetarians find questionable and choose to avoid.
Does Feta Cheese Contain Rennet
Traditionally feta cheese is made with rennet.
Although, you can find many brands of feta cheese that do not use rennet or animal-derived rennet.
What Is Rennet
Rennet is one of those ingredients that sounds like a fictional story but, it isn’t.
Rennet comes from the fourth stomach of young cows.
Although it goes by the name rennet it is actually a stomach enzyme.
In order to gather rennet, young cows are often harmed or killed.
Why Is Rennet Used To Make Feta Cheese
Rennet is used to coagulate the curds from the whey when making hard cheese.
Is There Feta Cheese Made Without Rennet
There are many brands of feta cheese that are made without animal-derived rennet.
Does Rennet Always Come From Animals
Luckily, rennet dos not always come from animals.
Scientists have gotten very creative and are able to make plant-based rennet from fungus, yeast, nettles, and thistles.
What Animal Does Feta Come From
Feta is made from sheep or goat milk.
Vegetarian Feta Cheese Brands
- Organic Valley
- Whole Foods 365 Brand
- Vermont Creamery
- Aldi
- Vigo
- Hannaford
- Great Lakes Cheese
- Bass Lakes Cheese
- Karoun
- Epirus
Does Vegan Feta Cheese Exist
Vegan cheese does exist and is often made from nuts like cashews and almonds.
Vegan Feta Cheese Brands
- Violife Just Like Feta
- Follow Your Heart Feta Crumbles
- Trader Joes Vegan Feta
- Peaceful Rebel Feta
- Virgin Cheese Organic Feta
- Cheeze & Thank You Feta
Final Thoughts
You can’t have a great salad without feta cheese.
There is something so distinct about that perfect briney crumble that is so special.
Luckily for vegetarians that are cheese lovers like myself, many of the feta cheese brands that we will find at our local grocery stores are vegetarian-friendly.
You do need to look at the label and make sure that if the cheese contains rennet it is derived from plant-based sources.
Vegans can also rejoice with a large selection of vegan feta cheese on the market, your greek salad does not need to be bare.
