Is the cheese-making enzyme safe to eat?
Safety evaluation of the food enzyme chymosin from the genetically modified Trichoderma reesei strain DP‐Nyj88
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
An enzyme made by a genetically modified fungus is used in 90% of U.S. cheese but isn’t labeled as GMO.
Most consumers assume GMOs are either whole foods or clearly labeled, but this enzyme slips through regulatory cracks because the final product lacks DNA or live cells.
Practical Takeaways
If you have mold or insect allergies, consider checking if your cheese uses microbial chymosin and monitor for reactions.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
An enzyme made by a genetically modified fungus is used in 90% of U.S. cheese but isn’t labeled as GMO.
Most consumers assume GMOs are either whole foods or clearly labeled, but this enzyme slips through regulatory cracks because the final product lacks DNA or live cells.
Practical Takeaways
If you have mold or insect allergies, consider checking if your cheese uses microbial chymosin and monitor for reactions.
Publication
Journal
EFSA Journal
Year
2025
Authors
Holger Zorn, José Manuel Barat Baviera, C. Bolognesi, Francesco Catania, G. Gadermaier, Ralf Greiner, Baltasar Mayo, A. Mortensen, Y. Roos, Marize L. M. Solano, Henk van Loveren, L. Vernis, A. Criado, C. Fernández‐Fraguas, S. Peluso, Yi Liu
Related Content
Claims (8)
Most cheese in the U.S. is made using enzymes from lab-altered microbes, but because the final enzyme is purified, it doesn’t count as a GMO and doesn’t need a GMO label.
This enzyme from a modified fungus doesn't seem to damage human immune cell DNA in lab tests, even at high doses and with or without liver-like processing.
Toddlers in Europe might be exposed to up to a tiny amount—0.013 milligrams per kilogram of their body weight—of a cheese-making enzyme called chymosin each day, based on how much cheese they eat and how it's made.
The enzyme used in making cheese, made by a modified fungus, doesn't have any live fungus or genetic material left in it after processing — tests show it's all been cleaned out.
This lab test shows that a certain enzyme from a modified fungus doesn't cause DNA changes in bacteria, even at high doses.