# DNA, Cows, and Cheese

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-cows-and-cheese/135414>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 5, 2002, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-cows-and-cheese/135414 "2002-11-05T19:24:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BZ00000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/47e85d/32.png) [@BZ00000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BZ00000)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-cows-and-cheese/135414/1 "2002-11-05T19:24:08Z")

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Could the DNA in cheese be used to trace it back to the cows that originally produced the milk?

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**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-cows-and-cheese/135414/2 "2002-11-05T19:30:14Z")

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I’m not sure, BZ, but I do wonder if cheeses that are made with rennet (a coagulant from calves’ stomachs) contain trace amounts of DNA from the calf.

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**Author:** ![BZ00000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/47e85d/32.png) [@BZ00000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BZ00000)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-cows-and-cheese/135414/3 "2002-11-05T21:47:21Z")

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How just testing milk, too?

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**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-cows-and-cheese/135414/4 "2002-11-05T23:10:42Z")

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Rennet may be obtained from any ruminant, not solely cows.

> **[Is rennet, a cheese ingredient, made from calves’ stomachs?](https://www.straightdope.com/21342913/is-rennet-a-cheese-ingredient-made-from-calves-stomachs)**
>
> A STAFF REPORT FROM THE STRAIGHT DOPE SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD

[http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcheese.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcheese.html)