Hidden Meat in Your Cheese? The Vegetarian Truth Every Dutch Yogi Should Know
You’re finishing a morning class, flowing from savasana straight into your Albert Heijn Daily Shop run. You grab your usual blocks of kaas, trusting your vegetarian lifestyle… until you remember: not all cheese is actually vegetarian.
The Hidden Problem: Rennet in Cheese
Many cheeses sold in the Netherlands use rennet, an enzyme traditionally extracted from calf stomachs. While this isn’t a health risk, it is a deal-breaker for vegetarians who avoid animal-derived ingredients.
As part of the EU, the Netherlands follows strict evaluations by the European Food Safety Authority. According to the EFSA, animal-derived rennet containing chymosin is considered safe for cheese production, with only a very low likelihood of allergic reactions. Additional EFSA reviews confirm rennet paste from bovine sources poses no safety concerns under intended use (EFSA Journal).
From a public health perspective, there’s no alarm. The EU Scientific Steering Committee even considers BSE/TSE risk negligible in countries like the Netherlands when rennet is properly sourced and regulated (EU Scientific Committee).
But here’s the issue for yogis living a conscious vegetarian lifestyle: rennet is animal-derived. As explained in industry analysis, this makes traditional rennet cheese unsuitable for vegetarians, even though microbial alternatives exist (source).
The Solution: Food Scan Genius for Conscious Vegetarians
As a yoga instructor, your values go beyond what’s on the mat. Food Scan Genius helps align your diet with your practice.
Why yoga instructors in the Netherlands are switching: you simply add rennet to your personal dietary exclusions in the app. Then, while shopping at Albert Heijn, you scan products and instantly see whether a cheese uses animal-derived rennet or vegetarian-friendly microbial enzymes.
No mental strain. No label squinting between classes. Just clarity.
| Experience | Manual Label Reading | Food Scan Genius |
|---|---|---|
| Time in Store | Slow and distracting | Instant results |
| Ingredient Accuracy | Easy to miss rennet | Flags animal-based enzymes |
| Mental Peace | Doubt after purchase | Confidence aligned with yoga values |
“Between teaching vinyasa and yin, I don’t have time to decode cheese labels. Food Scan Genius lets me shop at Albert Heijn knowing my food truly matches my vegetarian practice.” — Marieke, Yoga Instructor, Utrecht
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