Food additive databaseenzymeChecked 2026-10-02

Rennet レンネット

Existing food additiveEU: covered by the food enzymes rules

Purpose: enzyme
On the label: “酵素” (enzyme), “レンネット” (rennet), “キモシン” (chymosin), “レンニン” (rennin)
Name in the List of Existing Food Additives: レンネット (No. 324)
Source and production: An enzyme that coagulates milk (curdles it), obtained from the fourth stomach of ruminant animals or from cultures of certain basidiomycetes, filamentous fungi, yeasts, or bacteria.

In Japan

An enzyme that sets milk (curdles it), obtained from the fourth stomach of ruminant animals such as cattle or from microbial cultures (definition in the Japanese Standards for Food Additives). The alternative names are “キモシン” (chymosin) and “レンニン” (rennin).
It falls within the group name, so it can be labeled simply as “酵素” (enzyme). If it loses its activity during manufacturing and leaves no effect in the final food, labeling may be omitted as a processing aid, in which case it does not appear on the label.

Japan's standards for use

There are no standards for use that limit which foods or how much (the general standards for all additives still apply).

This is a summary of the standards for use. See the source list for the exact conditions.

In the EU

In the EU, food enzymes are covered by the food enzymes regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1332/2008), not by the list of food additives (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II).

Sources

Checked 2026-10-02. Rules and evaluations change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.

This page lists facts stated in laws and in evaluations by public bodies; it is not a safety verdict. Additives used in Japan are approved by the government, which sets the foods and amounts they can be used in. The ADI is a guide to the amount that is considered safe to take every day over a lifetime.

Other substances used as enzyme

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