Havarti: What It Is, Nutrition Data, Lactose and Kitchen Uses

Havarti is a mild, buttery cheese from Denmark, prized for slicing and melting. USDA SR Legacy has no Havarti entry, so this guide does not invent figures: it shows USDA values for similar mild cheeses, clearly labeled, which run about 96 to 106 calories per ounce with roughly a quarter of the Daily Value for saturated fat. Below: what is Havarti, its EU protected name, havarti nutrition, whether Havarti is healthy, what studies say about lactose, and dill havarti and other uses.

Peptide Labs does not sell Havarti or other cheese products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

What is Havarti?

Havarti is a pale, cow’s milk cheese with a smooth, supple paste, small irregular openings and a mild, buttery flavor that turns nuttier as it ages. In kitchens it is often called semi-soft, and creamy styles slice and melt easily. One peer-reviewed food-safety study (Leong and colleagues, Journal of Food Protection, 2014) grouped Havarti with semi-hard cheeses such as Colby, which shows that texture labels vary with the style and age of the cheese.

Its link to Denmark is now written into European law. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1751 entered the name Havarti in the EU register as a protected geographical indication (PGI) in October 2019, after Denmark applied in October 2010. The regulation bases the registration on a reputation attributable to Danish origin, says that within the EU Havarti is produced essentially in Denmark, and credits its reputation to a specific method of production and historical know-how.

Why Havarti made outside Denmark still exists

The registration was contested. According to the regulation, Germany, Spain, US dairy groups, the Office of the US Trade Representative, and New Zealand and Australian dairy bodies opposed it, arguing that the name had become generic and pointing out that Havarti has had a Codex Alimentarius standard since 1966. The European Commission registered the name anyway, with transition periods for producers in Spain and Germany.

The same regulation states that EU law does not apply to the territory of non-EU countries and that the registration does not put at risk the use of the name Havarti on their markets. That is why cheeses labeled Havarti are made in the United States and other countries as well as Denmark. If origin matters to you, read the country of origin on the label.

Havarti and FDA cheese rules

FDA’s cheese standards in 21 CFR part 133 include no section for Havarti. The general semisoft cheese standard (21 CFR 133.187) covers semisoft cheeses that lack a standard of their own: more than 39% and not more than 50% moisture, with at least 50% milkfat in the solids. Like the general hard cheese standard, it says that if the milk is not pasteurized, the cheese must be held at not less than 35°F for not less than 60 days. FDA’s pasteurization regulation (21 CFR 1240.61) allows that alternative only where part 133 provides for it.

CDC advises people at higher risk of Listeria infection, including pregnant women, newborns, adults 65 and older and people with weakened immune systems, to avoid any type of cheese made with unpasteurized milk. CDC does not name Havarti on its lists, so the label is the guide: if this advice applies to you, look for pasteurized milk in the ingredients.

Havarti nutrition: what USDA data can and cannot tell you

USDA SR Legacy, the reference database used throughout our food guides, has no entry for Havarti. Rather than guess, the table shows four other mild, sliceable cow’s milk cheeses from SR Legacy: Cheese, muenster (FDC 171245), Cheese, monterey (FDC 170844), Cheese, tilsit (FDC 170852) and Cheese, gouda (FDC 171241). These are different cheeses, shown for rough reference only; the label on a Havarti package gives the figures for that product. Portions are 1 ounce (28.35 g); %DV uses FDA Daily Values.

Across these USDA entries, one ounce supplies about 7 grams of protein, around 15% of the Daily Value for calcium, and 24% to 27% for saturated fat. Sodium ranges from 7% to 10% of the Daily Value. For context, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030 say saturated fat should not exceed 10% of daily calories and set sodium at less than 2,300 milligrams a day for people 14 and older.

Havarti is sold in several styles, from creamy to aged, and fat and calories differ from one product to the next. Check the Nutrition Facts label on the package you choose. Our foods high in calcium and low-sodium foods guides help put these numbers in context.

Is Havarti healthy?

Havarti can be part of a varied diet. Judging by the similar cheeses in USDA data, it likely supplies protein and calcium along with a large share of saturated fat per ounce. The Dietary Guidelines 2025-2030 say that when consuming dairy, include full-fat dairy with no added sugars, within the saturated fat and sodium limits above. No human trial we read tested Havarti itself for any health outcome, so this guide makes no claims beyond label facts and agency statements.

Lactose and milk

• Lactose: we found no peer-reviewed measurement of lactose in Havarti, and USDA lists none, so this guide gives no figure. In a UK study of retail cheeses (Portnoi and MacDonald, Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 2009), samples of Gouda and Edam still contained lactose, while Gruyere and Emmental samples did not.
• What NIDDK says: NIDDK suggests that people with lactose intolerance try hard cheeses, naming cheddar and Swiss as examples lower in lactose than other milk products. Havarti was not named. Our lactase guide covers enzyme products.
• Milk allergy: FDA lists milk among the nine major food allergens under US law. A milk allergy reacts to milk protein, so Havarti is not suitable for anyone with a milk allergy; ask your clinician.

Flavored Havarti and kitchen uses

Havarti takes well to added flavors. Dill havarti is the most familiar, and caraway, jalapeño and herb versions are common too. See our dill guide for more on the herb.

• Sandwiches: slices melt quickly in grilled cheese, panini and burgers.
• Melting: a mild choice for macaroni and cheese or a creamy sauce; shred it cold and stir it in over low heat.
• On a board: pairs with apples, pears, grapes, rye crackers and thinly sliced ham.
• Slicing tip: creamy Havarti slices most cleanly straight from the fridge; let it warm a little before serving for full flavor.
• Swaps: for a firmer, nuttier melting cheese, try our Gruyere guide; mozzarella and brie cover other soft, mild options.

Our cheese guide compares many more cheeses, and the Gouda and Swiss cheese guides cover two other cheeses often sliced the same way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Gruyere: Nutrition, AOP Origins, US Labeling and Lactose, Gouda: Nutrition, Smoked Gouda and What the Label Means, Cheese: Nutrition, Types of Cheese and Is Cheese Healthy?.