Halloumi: What It Is, Sodium, Protein and the Cyprus PDO Rules

Halloumi is a firm, white cheese from Cyprus that you can grill or fry without it melting into a puddle, which is why grilled halloumi turns up on so many menus. Under EU law the name is a protected designation of origin, and the cheese is made from sheep’s or goat’s milk, or a mix, with or without cow’s milk, and always with spearmint. One limit is worth knowing before you read any halloumi nutrition table: the USDA SR Legacy database has no entry for halloumi, so this guide uses clearly labeled nearest USDA entries and points you to the Nutrition Facts label for the real numbers. Below: what the rules say, what is in a cheese like this, the sodium question, and whether halloumi is healthy for you.

Peptide Labs does not sell halloumi or any cheese. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

What is halloumi?

Halloumi is a semi-hard cheese with a springy, slightly squeaky bite and a milky, tangy taste. The Court of Justice of the European Union summed it up in a 2024 press release: a Cypriot cheese with a characteristic smell and taste, made from sheep’s or goat’s milk, or a mixture, with or without cow’s milk, that has the property of not melting at high temperatures. That last trait is the whole appeal in the kitchen: slices keep their shape in a hot pan or on a grill and brown on the outside.

The registration regulation describes traditional features of production, including folding the curds and adding Cypriot mint for aroma. Cyprus’s Ministry of Agriculture notes that the PDO name covers both fresh and mature halloumi made by approved producers in Cyprus, and that spearmint must be present in every case. Spices such as chili or basil may only be sprinkled on after production, not mixed into the curd.

The Cyprus PDO, in short

• Regulation: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/591 of 12 April 2021 registered the names Halloumi and Hellim as a PDO.
• Court challenge: Cypriot dairies asked the EU General Court to annul it; the court dismissed the action in full on 21 February 2024 (Case T-361/21, Papouis Dairies and Others v Commission).
• Milk: sheep’s or goat’s milk, or a mix, with or without cow’s milk. The court noted the older Cypriot standard did not stop the share of sheep’s or goat’s milk from being higher than the share of cow’s milk.
• Where it applies: inside the EU, cheese sold as halloumi must come from certified producers in Cyprus. Rules outside the EU differ, so check the country of origin on the label.

Halloumi nutrition: what USDA data can tell you

USDA FoodData Central’s SR Legacy database, the source behind most nutrition tables, has no entry for halloumi. Rather than guess, the table below shows two labeled nearest USDA entries per ounce (28 g) with %DV: feta, another white cheese from the eastern Mediterranean that is often made with sheep’s or goat’s milk, and whole-milk mozzarella, a firm fresh cheese. Read them as rough context only; the halloumi you pick up may differ, and its own label is the number to trust.

Per 100 grams, USDA lists feta (FDC 173420) at 265 calories with 14.21 grams of protein and 1,139 milligrams of sodium, and whole-milk mozzarella (FDC 170845) at 299 calories with 22.17 grams of protein and 486 milligrams of sodium. The spread between those two cheeses shows why the label matters: sodium in cheese varies a lot with how it is made and stored. For more on feta, see our feta guide.

Halloumi and sodium

Many people find halloumi salty. Because USDA has no halloumi entry, we cannot give you a sourced sodium figure for it. What you can do is check the label: the FDA Daily Value for sodium is 2,300 milligrams, and a %DV of 20% or more per serving is the FDA’s marker for a high amount of a nutrient. If you are watching sodium on your clinician’s advice, compare brands by %DV per serving and see our low sodium foods guide and the salt substitutes explainer.

• Read the serving size: labels often list a slice or an ounce, and a grilled plate may hold several servings.
• Compare %DV, not adjectives: words like light or reduced fat do not tell you about sodium.
• Balance the plate: salty cheese pairs well with unsalted foods such as fresh vegetables, fruit or plain grains.

Is halloumi healthy?

Halloumi is a whole food with real nutrition: the nearest USDA cheese entries show useful protein and calcium in each ounce, and cheese can fit an eating pattern such as the Mediterranean diet. The trade-offs are the same as for most firm cheeses: saturated fat, which the nearest USDA entries put near a fifth of the Daily Value per ounce, and sodium, which you need to read off the label. Whether it is a good fit for you depends on your overall diet, portion and any advice from your clinician, not on the cheese alone.

• Protein: a dense source of dairy protein; compare it with other options in our foods high in calcium guide for calcium as well.
• Calcium: cheese is among the richer calcium sources per ounce in USDA data.
• Saturated fat and sodium: the two numbers to check on the label.
• Cooking: grilling or dry-pan frying adds little; frying in oil adds the oil’s fat and calories.

Lactose, milk allergy and food safety

Milk is one of the nine major food allergens under US law, and halloumi is a dairy cheese whether it is made from sheep’s, goat’s or cow’s milk, so it is not a choice for anyone with a milk allergy unless an allergist says otherwise. Lactose intolerance is a different issue. NIDDK notes that hard cheeses such as cheddar or Swiss are lower in lactose than other milk products and that lactase products help some people; USDA gives no lactose value for halloumi. See our lactase guide for more.

On food safety, FDA advises pregnant women to avoid cheeses made with unpasteurized (raw) milk because of Listeria, and CDC names pregnant women, newborns, adults 65 or older and people with weakened immune systems as the groups at higher risk. Halloumi is not named on those agency lists, so check that the label says pasteurized milk and ask your OB-GYN or clinician if you are unsure. Cooking halloumi until hot is common practice, but it is not a substitute for that label check.

Grilled halloumi and other ways to eat it

These are kitchen ideas, not health claims. Pat slices dry, then sear them in a hot, dry nonstick pan or on a clean grill until golden on both sides, and eat them warm, since the texture firms up as it cools. Halloumi works in salads with tomato and cucumber, with grilled vegetables, in wraps or with fruit such as watermelon. Taste before adding salt to the rest of the dish.

Halloumi compared with a few related cheeses

Halloumi shares a shelf with other white cheeses that behave differently with heat. Feta crumbles and softens. Our string cheese guide covers a stretched, mozzarella-type snack cheese that melts. Paneer, the Indian fresh cheese, also holds its shape when cooked but is made a different way, with heat and acid; see our paneer guide for how the two compare.

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: Paneer: How It Is Made, Protein, and Paneer vs Tofu, Feta Cheese: Nutrition, Is It Healthy, Sodium and Safety, Cheese: Nutrition, Types of Cheese and Is Cheese Healthy?.