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Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese made from a thin pouch of stretched curd, the same kind of curd used for mozzarella, filled with a soft mix of curd shreds and cream. Cut it open and the center spills out. USDA SR Legacy has no burrata entry, so this guide uses the nearest USDA entries, whole-milk mozzarella and heavy cream, clearly labeled as such, to explain burrata nutrition. It also covers burrata vs mozzarella, lactose studies, and what FDA and CDC say about fresh cheese and Listeria.
Peptide Labs does not sell burrata or other cheese. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- Burrata is a pouch of stretched curd filled with curd shreds and cream, often called stracciatella.
- USDA SR Legacy has no burrata entry; whole-milk mozzarella and heavy cream are the nearest entries.
- Per ounce, USDA lists whole-milk mozzarella at 85 calories and 20% of the Daily Value for saturated fat.
- A 2020 study of PGI burrata measured about 70% moisture and 18% fat on average.
- Burrata di Andria has been a protected geographical indication in the EU since 2016.
- FDA advises avoiding cheese made from unpasteurized milk in pregnancy; neither FDA nor CDC names burrata.
What is burrata?
What is burrata, in kitchen terms? A cheesemaker heats and stretches fresh curd, as for mozzarella, shapes part of it into a small open pouch, fills the pouch with shreds of the same curd mixed with cream, and closes it with a knot at the top. The filling is commonly called stracciatella. The result is a soft, white ball with a smooth outside and a loose, creamy inside.
A peer-reviewed study of Burrata di Andria (Di Cerbo and colleagues, 2020) describes the cheese as having stemmed from the idea of reusing stretched-curd residues from mozzarella making, combined with cream and enclosed in a stretched-curd envelope. The authors note that burrata was recognized as a traditional agricultural product of Puglia, in southern Italy, by a 2002 ministerial decree. In the EU, the name Burrata di Andria was entered in the register of protected geographical indications by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/2103 of 21 November 2016. That protection covers the name Burrata di Andria, not the word burrata on its own.
Burrata nutrition: the nearest USDA entries
Because USDA SR Legacy has no entry for burrata or stracciatella, the table shows the two nearest entries for its parts, whole-milk mozzarella for the shell and heavy whipping cream for the cream in the center, plus whole-milk ricotta as another fresh cheese and camembert for comparison. Values are for one ounce by weight (28.35 g), with Percent Daily Values based on the FDA reference amounts used on food labels. These are not burrata values; a real burrata falls somewhere between its parts, depending on how much cream the maker uses.
| Per 1 oz (USDA SR Legacy, nearest entries) | Mozzarella, whole milk (FDC 170845) | Heavy whipping cream (FDC 170859) | Ricotta, whole milk (FDC 170851) | Camembert (FDC 172178) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 85 | 96 | 43 | 85 |
| Protein | 6.3 g (13% DV) | 0.8 g (2% DV) | 2.1 g (4% DV) | 5.6 g (11% DV) |
| Total fat | 6.3 g (8% DV) | 10.2 g (13% DV) | 2.9 g (4% DV) | 6.9 g (9% DV) |
| Saturated fat | 3.9 g (20% DV) | 6.5 g (33% DV) | 1.8 g (9% DV) | 4.3 g (22% DV) |
| Cholesterol | 22 mg (7% DV) | 32 mg (11% DV) | 14 mg (5% DV) | 20 mg (7% DV) |
| Sodium | 138 mg (6% DV) | 8 mg (0% DV) | 31 mg (1% DV) | 239 mg (10% DV) |
| Calcium | 143 mg (11% DV) | 19 mg (1% DV) | 58 mg (4% DV) | 110 mg (8% DV) |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.65 mcg (27% DV) | 0.05 mcg (2% DV) | 0.24 mcg (10% DV) | 0.37 mcg (15% DV) |
| Vitamin A | 51 mcg (6% DV) | 117 mcg (13% DV) | 34 mcg (4% DV) | 68 mcg (8% DV) |
| Carbohydrate | 0.7 g | 0.8 g | 2.1 g | 0.1 g |
Measured data on real burrata fill part of the gap. The Di Cerbo study analyzed 21 samples of PGI burrata from seven dairies and found an average moisture of about 70% and an average fat content of about 18%. By comparison, the USDA whole-milk mozzarella entry lists about 50 grams of water and 22 grams of fat per 100 grams, so burrata in that study was a wetter cheese. The cream raises the saturated fat share: USDA lists one tablespoon of heavy cream (15 g) at 51 calories and 17% of the Daily Value for saturated fat. Packaged burrata carries a Nutrition Facts panel, and that label is the most direct source for the product in your hand.
Burrata vs mozzarella
Burrata vs mozzarella comes down to the center. Both start from stretched curd, but https://peptidelabs.live/mozzarella/ is solid all the way through, while burrata is a thin mozzarella-style shell around a loose filling of curd shreds and cream. That makes burrata softer, richer and more fragile. In the US, mozzarella has its own standard of identity (21 CFR 133.155), which says the dairy ingredients are pasteurized. The FDA cheese rules in 21 CFR Part 133 have no section for burrata, so that mozzarella rule does not settle how a given burrata was made. Fresh mozzarella and burrata are used in similar dishes, and https://peptidelabs.live/ricotta/ is another mild fresh cheese with a spoonable texture.
Listeria, raw milk and pregnancy: FDA and CDC advice
Burrata can be made from pasteurized or raw milk. The Di Cerbo study says PGI burrata is generally made with pasteurized cow’s milk, yet 9 of its 21 samples came from raw-milk producers. The FDA says pregnant women are about 10 times more likely than other healthy adults to get listeriosis, which can lead to miscarriage, premature labor or infant death, and it advises avoiding cheeses made with unpasteurized (raw) milk. The FDA lists cheeses made with pasteurized milk as safe choices, apart from queso fresco-type cheeses, and CDC lists mozzarella made with pasteurized milk among safer choices.
- Neither the FDA nor the CDC page names burrata, so the FDA and CDC milk advice is the guide: check the label for the words made with pasteurized milk.
- CDC names the groups at higher risk from Listeria: pregnant women, newborns, adults 65 or older and people with weakened immune systems.
- Artisan or imported burrata may not state the milk clearly; if the label does not say pasteurized, FDA advice for pregnancy is to avoid raw-milk cheese.
- Ask your clinician about fresh cheeses if you are pregnant or in another higher-risk group; our https://peptidelabs.live/prenatal-vitamins/ guide lists related questions.
Saturated fat, salt and lactose in burrata
Saturated fat is the main number to watch. The shell resembles whole-milk mozzarella, at 20% of the Daily Value for saturated fat per ounce in USDA data, and the cream center adds more. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, say that when consuming dairy you can include full-fat dairy with no added sugars, and that saturated fat in general should not exceed 10% of total daily calories. Sodium is modest in the USDA mozzarella entry, 6% of the Daily Value per ounce, and the cream adds almost none; our https://peptidelabs.live/low-sodium-foods/ page puts that in context. USDA lists 22 milligrams of cholesterol per ounce of whole-milk mozzarella and 32 milligrams per ounce of heavy cream (see https://peptidelabs.live/foods-high-in-cholesterol/). Our https://peptidelabs.live/heavy-cream/ and https://peptidelabs.live/high-fat-foods/ guides cover the cream side in more detail.
No peer-reviewed lactose measurements for burrata itself turned up in our review. Two related studies help a little: Manzi and Pizzoferrato (2009) found that the lactose content of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO fell during storage, and Ahmed and colleagues (2023) detected no lactose in the commercial mozzarella samples they tested. Neither study measured a cream filling, so tolerance of burrata is individual; our https://peptidelabs.live/lactase/ article covers lactase products. Milk is one of the nine major food allergens under US law (FDA), so burrata is not suitable for anyone with a milk allergy.
Serving burrata
Burrata is usually served simply, so the creamy center stays the focus. Common kitchen habits:
- Let it sit out briefly before serving so the filling softens, then cut it open at the table.
- Pair it with ripe https://peptidelabs.live/tomatoes/, fresh https://peptidelabs.live/basil/ and a drizzle of https://peptidelabs.live/olive-oil/.
- Spoon it over warm pasta, roasted vegetables or grilled bread after cooking rather than baking it.
- Eat it soon after opening, and go by the use-by date on the package.
- Drain the liquid it is packed in just before serving.
Is burrata healthy? How it fits a varied diet
Is burrata healthy? It provides protein, calcium and vitamin B12 from the curd and vitamin A from the cream, along with a high share of saturated fat. Like any rich cheese, it fits a varied diet in portions that match the rest of the meal, and it is often served with vegetables, as in the https://peptidelabs.live/mediterranean-diet/. For how cheeses compare overall, see our main https://peptidelabs.live/cheese/ guide, and for a ripened soft cheese with an edible rind, read our https://peptidelabs.live/camembert/ article. Our https://peptidelabs.live/cream-cheese/ guide covers another soft, spreadable option.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is burrata made of?
A pouch of stretched curd, like mozzarella, filled with shreds of curd mixed with cream. The filling is often called stracciatella.
What is the difference between burrata and mozzarella?
Mozzarella is solid stretched curd. Burrata is a thin stretched-curd shell around a soft filling of curd and cream, so it is richer and softer.
Is burrata pasteurized?
It can be made from pasteurized or raw milk; a 2020 study of PGI burrata included both. Check the label for the words made with pasteurized milk.
Can I eat burrata when pregnant?
The FDA advises avoiding cheese made from unpasteurized milk in pregnancy and lists pasteurized cheeses as safe choices. Ask your clinician about burrata made with pasteurized milk.
Does USDA list burrata nutrition?
No. USDA SR Legacy has no burrata entry, so this guide uses whole-milk mozzarella and heavy cream as the nearest entries; the package label gives values for a specific product.
Is burrata high in fat?
Yes. A 2020 study of PGI burrata measured about 18% fat on average, and the cream center adds saturated fat.
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: Camembert: Nutrition, the Normandy PDO and Listeria Facts, Mozzarella: Nutrition, Fresh vs Low-Moisture and Health Facts, Ricotta: Cheese Nutrition, Part Skim and Ricotta vs Cottage Cheese.