Is Vermont Sharp, Hand Selected Premium Cheddar Cheese Vegan?

The Ingredient Breakdown

When determining if a cheese is vegan, we look strictly at the source of the fats and proteins. The ingredient list for Vermont Sharp, Hand Selected Premium Cheddar Cheese is classic and traditional, but it is strictly non-vegan. Let's analyze the components:

Fresh pasteurized milk: This is the primary ingredient and the immediate disqualifier. Sourced from cows, milk provides the casein and lactose necessary for cheddar cheese structure. For a product to be vegan, it must use plant-based alternatives like cashew, soy, or coconut milk.

Cheese cultures: These are live microorganisms (bacteria) added to ferment the milk. While the cultures themselves are technically microorganisms (and thus often acceptable to some vegetarians), they are grown on dairy-based mediums in traditional cheese making, making the final product non-vegan.

Enzymes: Traditional cheddar uses rennet, an enzyme complex derived from the stomach lining of ruminants. While modern commercial cheese often uses microbial or fermentation-produced enzymes, the source is irrelevant to the vegan verdict as long as the base ingredient is milk. The combination of milk and enzymes creates the curd structure.

Nutritional Value

Because this is a dairy product, the nutritional profile is dense in fats and proteins. A standard serving of Vermont Sharp Cheddar provides a significant amount of calcium and protein, which are essential nutrients often difficult to source on a strict vegan diet without supplementation or careful planning.

Regarding calories and sugar, cheddar cheese is naturally very low in sugar (containing only trace amounts of lactose). However, it is calorie-dense due to the milk fat content. It fits well into diets like Keto or Paleo where animal fats are encouraged, but it may not align with heart-health guidelines that recommend limiting saturated fat intake. It is a nutrient-dense food, meaning a small portion offers substantial energy.