Many people are not aware that not all cheese is vegetarian. If it contains animal enzymes/rennet (which comes from the stomach of a dead cow), then it it is not vegetarian. If it uses microbial rennet then it is vegetarian. Some people were saying on social media recently that Kraft shredded cheddar cheese was vegetarian, but I said that it was not. I recalled contacting the company several years ago and them confirming that they use animal enzymes. I decided to write them again to see if things have changed (now it's 2024) and what their response would be.

Kraft shredded cheddar cheese is NOT vegetarian. Here is the response I got back from them when inquiring about the source of enzymes/rennet:

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to Lactalis! Our Kraft Natural Sharp Cheddar utilizes Microbial Rennet and Bovine (Beef) flavoring Enzymes. We appreciate your time and patronage! Most of our products do utilize Microbial rennet and Microbial and/or Bovine (Beef) enzymes. 
 
I hope this answers your question. 

Sincerely,
Lactalis Consumer Relations 

Lactalis is apparently the cheese supplier for Kraft, because when I contacted Kraft's customer service they originally wrote back with a vague response that didn't answer the question. I therefore asked for more clarification and they forwarded my question to Lactalis, who then responded to my question. Beef enzymes come from the stomach of a slaughtered cow, therefore it is not a vegetarian ingredient. This makes Kraft shredded cheddar cheese not vegetarian. 

If you are looking for a commercial cheese that is vegetarian (uses microbial enzymes), there are a few brands that come to mind, including Cabot, Tillamook, and most Sargento products. Cabot and Tillamook disclose on the package that they use microbial enzymes.