One-liner

Animal advocates' push against veal led to a decline in calf rennet availability, inadvertently driving the cheese industry to adopt synthetic biology rennet, making it the norm in cheese production today.

Synopsis

The Fall of Calf Rennet

Historically, calf-based rennet was the go-to ingredient for cheese-making. However, a significant shift occurred with the decline of veal consumption promoted by animal rights advocates post-1975, led by the momentum from Peter Singer's book "Animal Liberation." The reduced demand for veal inadvertently led to a scarcity of calf-based rennet, spiking its prices.

Biotech to the Rescue

This scarcity necessitated an alternative, and biotechnology companies like Pfizer stepped in. They innovated by genetically engineering microbes to produce chymosin, the essential coagulating enzyme in rennet. The FDA's approval of Pfizer's fermentation-produced chymosin (FPC) in 1990 was a pivotal moment, allowing the cheese industry to overcome the calf rennet shortage while also reducing costs.

The Economics of Food and Synthetic Biology

Beyond the inventive aspect, this historical account underlines the importance of economics in the food industry. The story suggests that advancements in food biotechnology can benefit from shifts in the economic landscape of traditional animal products, and that alternatives can gain traction through market forces as much as through technological efficiency.

Key quotes

  1. "For millennia, calf-based rennet was used to make cheese, and now nearly all cheese contains a synthetic biology-produced (synbio) version instead."
  2. "When calf rennet became scarce and unreliably available in the 1960s and 70s... calf rennet became very expensive. Companies looked for a 'rennet substitute.’”
  3. "Today, FPC produced through synbio has replaced rennet in about 90 percent of American cheese."
  4. "Sometimes a product may end up competing on cost not just because it’s more efficient, but also because the competition just can’t keep its prices low."
  5. "The real advantage is that it is probably a much cheaper way of producing this substance than to grow calves."

Make it stick

  1. "From calves to microbes: The story of cheese's success thanks to a squeeze on veal."
  2. "90% of American cheese is now made with the help of synthetic biology rennet, a legacy of animal advocacy in action."
  3. "The cheese industry's transition to synthetic rennet demonstrates how technology and economics often dance to an unexpected tune."

Talking points

  1. "I was surprised to learn that animal advocacy was a key factor for synthetic biology's breakthrough in the cheese industry. What's your take on that unintended consequence?"
  2. "Did you know that the cheese industry's move to synthetic rennet is actually an economic success story as much as a biotech story? The cost and scarcity drove innovation."
  3. "Have you ever considered how much biotechnology is part of our everyday dining? Like that roughly 90% of American cheese uses synthetic biology rennet. Makes you think about the other foods on your plate
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