The history of rennet
Josef Hundsbichler,
company founder
History tells us that the ancient Egyptians were the first to discover rennet 4000 to 5000 thousand years ago. They used the dried intestines of animals, particularly stomachs, as containers for storing liquids. The rennet enzyme released by these stomachs caused milk to curdle thus making it possible to preserve it. The art of cheese-making has developed over the centuries, and natural rennet has always been inseparably linked to cheese.
The company history
The company founder, Kommerzialrat Josef Hundsbichler (1913-1995), came from an old farming and cheese-making family based in Zillertal. In 1947, he started utilizing the modest means available to him in Kufstein to produce marketable rennet from dried calves' stomachs.
Rennet production in Europe at the time was dominated by a few major operators and Josef Hundsbichler immediately saw his business exposed to great competitive pressures. However, he persevered and gradually established his natural rennet on the market, initially in Austria, and then later in neighbouring countries.
Today, the Hundsbichler company supplies more than 80% of the natural rennet used in Austria. Its products are exported to Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, Syria, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and many other countries. Wherever top-quality cheeses are required, first-class natural rennet by Hundsbichler may be in demand.
Today, when the number of natural rennet manufacturers falls almost every year, Hundsbichler presents itself as an internationally recognized and esteemed partner to cheese-making enterprises.
Chronology
| Approximately 4500 BC |
natural rennet first used in Egypt |
| 1947 | Rennet production commenced at Hundsbichler |
| 1960 | Construction of a new plant in Kufstein |
| 1976 | The right to use the Austrian coat of arms was granted |
| 1987 | The right to use the State of Tyrol's coat of arms was granted |
| 1995 | Management assumed by the founder's son, Stefan Hundsbichler |
| 1995 | Certification in accordance with ISO 9000 |
| 1998 | Development of the new "gentle" extraction procedure |
| 1999 | Construction of today's plant in Langkampfen near Kufstein |
| 2000 | Relocation to the new buildings and implementation of the new production procedures |
| 2004 | New international BioRen® brand launched |
| 2005 | Certification in accordance with ISO 22000 Liquid rennet paste "for more taste in cheese" launchedon the market |
| 2008 | Halal certification through HFFIA Den Haag |
| 2009 | positive ending of the R&D project together with TU Dresden - "rennet and yield" |
| 2009 | positive ending of an R&D project - development of new extraction technology |
Natural rennet versus microbial rennet substitutes
..."Microbial-rennet" brings quality impairment in cheese and also substantial financial losses for the cheese manufacturer...
Calculate your cheese-yield
"microbial rennet" brings financial losses through yield losses - please use our cheese yield calculator
A-6336 Langkampfen/Tirol · Sportplatzweg 5
Tel. +43 (0)5372 62256-0 · Fax: +43 (0)5372 62256-8
