Emmental Nutrition Benefits and Facts

Nutritional summary

Emmental is a significant source of dietary calcium and iodine, contributing to bone health and metabolic function .
The characteristic holes and nutty flavour of this cheese are produced by the bacterium Propionibacterium freudenreichii, which releases carbon dioxide and propionic acid during the ripening process .
While high in saturated fat, systematic reviews of fermented dairy products like Emmental suggest they may have a neutral or even protective effect on cardiovascular health and type 2 diabetes risk .
Because it is a hard, aged cheese, Emmental contains very low levels of lactose, making it a common dietary option for individuals who must manage galactose (a component of milk sugar) intake .

Interesting fact

The characteristic holes, or 'eyes', are formed by Propionibacterium freudenreichii bacteria which consume lactic acid and release carbon dioxide gas that becomes trapped in the curd during maturation.

Standout nutrients

EPIC

SOURCE

Calcium

EPIC

SOURCE

Phosphorus

EPIC

SOURCE

Protein from Amino Acids

EPIC

SOURCE

Protein

390

kcal per 100g

Protein28.9g

Fat30.9g

Fat breakdown

Polyunsat1.23g

Monounsat7.78g

Saturated19.9g

Trans1.42g

Seasonality

Not available

Diet

VegetarianPescatarianGluten FreeKeto

Sustainability

Heavier footprint

As a hard cheese, it requires significant milk volume per kilogram and shares the high methane footprint of bovine dairy.

Confidencehigh

Storage

Refrigerate

2–4 weeks

Wrap in wax paper to allow the cheese to breathe without drying out.

Airtight Container

2–4 weeks

Flavour

Data & Sources

Harmonized from 3 validated sources

French Food Database

1 contributing source food

Swiss Food Database

1 contributing source food

McCance & Widdowson

1 contributing source food

Claim citations

Dietetic management of adults with Classical Galactosaemia in the UK: A care consensus document - PMC

[1]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cheese: mere indulgence or part of a healthy diet? - PMC

[4]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Fermented foods and cardiometabolic health: Definitions, current evidence, and future perspectives - PMC

[5]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cheese - The Nutrition Source

[6]nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu

Menaquinone Content of Cheese - PMC

[8]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The dietary management of calcium and phosphate in children with CKD stages 2-5 and on dialysis—clinical practice recommendation from the Pediatric Renal Nutrition Taskforce - PMC

[10]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Coverage

Nutrients

FoodCompass

43.6

Version

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