Is mild edam cheese vegan?

Mild Edam cheese is a traditional Dutch semi-hard cheese named after the town of Edam in the Netherlands. It is manufactured by curdling cow milk with starter cultures and rennet, separating the solid curds from the liquid whey, pressing the curds into molds, and brining the final cheese. The mild designation indicates that the cheese has undergone a relatively short aging period, resulting in an elastic texture and a subtle, creamy flavor.

Food manufacturers commonly list mild Edam cheese in pre-packaged sandwiches, prepared salads, savory baked goods, snack packs, and frozen meals. The ingredient is not vegan because it is produced from animal milk, typically obtained from dairy cows. In addition to its dairy base, traditional Edam production often uses animal rennet, an enzyme complex harvested from the stomach lining of young calves, to coagulate the milk proteins. Because animal milk and animal-derived enzymes are integral to its production, mild Edam cheese is entirely unsuitable for a vegan diet.