Key takeaways
- Hard and aged cheeses (cheddar, parmesan, Swiss, brie, camembert) are low FODMAP — lactose drains away with the whey.
- Fresh and soft cheeses (ricotta, cottage cheese, cream cheese, mascarpone) are high FODMAP.
- Feta is low FODMAP at a 45 g portion — surprisingly safe given its soft texture.
- Halloumi is low FODMAP at 80 g.
Cheese is one of the more counter-intuitive parts of the low-FODMAP diet. Many people assume all dairy is off limits — but the cheesemaking process fundamentally changes the lactose content, and most aged cheeses are completely safe.
FODMAP status at a glance
- —Cheddar: low FODMAP
- —Parmesan: low FODMAP
- —Swiss / Emmental: low FODMAP
- —Brie: low FODMAP
- —Camembert: low FODMAP
- —Feta: low FODMAP (45 g)
- —Halloumi: low FODMAP (80 g)
- —Mozzarella (fresh): low FODMAP (65 g)
- —Ricotta: high FODMAP
- —Cottage cheese: high FODMAP
- —Cream cheese: high FODMAP
- —Mascarpone: high FODMAP
Why hard cheeses are safe
During cheesemaking, curds are separated from whey. Lactose is water-soluble and stays with the whey — which is drained off. The longer and more extensively a cheese is aged, the less residual lactose it retains. Hard, aged cheeses like cheddar and parmesan contain virtually no detectable lactose.
Cheese in practice
References
- 1.
