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Low sodium cheese is easier to find than cheese’s salty reputation suggests, because the sodium in cheese varies more than tenfold by type: in USDA FoodData Central data, an ounce of part-skim ricotta has about 28 milligrams of sodium, an ounce of Swiss about 53 milligrams and an ounce of whole-milk mozzarella about 138 milligrams, while an ounce of feta reaches about 323 milligrams and an ounce of grated Parmesan about 511 milligrams. The table below ranks 22 USDA cheese entries, including USDA’s generic low sodium entries, by sodium per ounce, with FDC IDs and percent Daily Value; the sections that follow quote FDA’s rules for “low sodium,” “very low sodium” and “reduced sodium” on a label.
Peptide Labs does not sell foods. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- In USDA data, ricotta and Swiss have the least sodium per ounce among regular cheeses, at about 28 to 53 milligrams, and the five USDA generic low sodium entries list 4 to 18 milligrams.
- Cream cheese and 2% cottage cheese land near 90 milligrams per ounce in USDA data; the goat cheeses and whole-milk mozzarella sit between about 118 and 138 milligrams.
- FDA allows "low sodium" on a label at 140 milligrams of sodium or less per reference amount, "very low sodium" at 35 milligrams or less and "sodium free" under 5 milligrams (21 CFR 101.61).
- "Reduced sodium" means at least 25 percent less sodium than an appropriate reference food, and FDA requires the label to name that food and the percentage (21 CFR 101.61).
- Feta, blue cheese, hard Parmesan, process American and grated Parmesan form the high end at about 323 to 511 milligrams per ounce in USDA data.
Low sodium cheese ranked by USDA sodium per ounce
Every row uses the same one-ounce serving, 28.35 grams in USDA SR Legacy portion data, so the cheeses compare like for like; the percent Daily Value (%DV) divides that figure by the FDA Daily Value for sodium of 2,300 milligrams, and the last column gives sodium per 100 grams of the same USDA entry. Cottage cheese and ricotta are usually eaten by the half cup, which USDA lists at about four ounces, so multiply those rows by four for a typical bowl.
| Cheese (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Sodium | % DV | Protein | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottage cheese, 1% milkfat, no sodium added (168114) | 1 oz | 4 mg | 0% | 3.5 g | 13 mg |
| Swiss cheese, low sodium (168124) | 1 oz | 4 mg | 0% | 8.1 g | 14 mg |
| Mozzarella, low sodium (167735) | 1 oz | 5 mg | 0% | 7.8 g | 16 mg |
| Cheddar or colby, low sodium (173440) | 1 oz | 6 mg | 0% | 6.9 g | 21 mg |
| Parmesan, low sodium (167705) | 1 oz | 18 mg | 1% | 11.8 g | 63 mg |
| Ricotta, part skim milk (171248) | 1 oz | 28 mg | 1% | 3.2 g | 99 mg |
| Ricotta, whole milk (170851) | 1 oz | 31 mg | 1% | 2.1 g | 110 mg |
| Swiss cheese (171251) | 1 oz | 53 mg | 2% | 7.6 g | 187 mg |
| Cottage cheese, 2% milkfat (172182) | 1 oz | 87 mg | 4% | 3.0 g | 308 mg |
| Cream cheese (173418) | 1 oz | 89 mg | 4% | 1.7 g | 314 mg |
| Cottage cheese, 1% milkfat (173417) | 1 oz | 115 mg | 5% | 3.5 g | 406 mg |
| Goat cheese, semisoft (173433) | 1 oz | 118 mg | 5% | 6.1 g | 415 mg |
| Goat cheese, soft (173435) | 1 oz | 130 mg | 6% | 5.3 g | 459 mg |
| Mozzarella, whole milk (170845) | 1 oz | 138 mg | 6% | 6.3 g | 486 mg |
| Brie (172177) | 1 oz | 178 mg | 8% | 5.9 g | 629 mg |
| Cheddar (173414) | 1 oz | 185 mg | 8% | 6.5 g | 653 mg |
| Mozzarella, whole milk, low moisture (170846) | 1 oz | 201 mg | 9% | 6.1 g | 710 mg |
| Feta (173420) | 1 oz | 323 mg | 14% | 4.0 g | 1139 mg |
| Blue cheese (172175) | 1 oz | 325 mg | 14% | 6.1 g | 1146 mg |
| Parmesan, hard (170848) | 1 oz | 333 mg | 14% | 10.1 g | 1175 mg |
| Pasteurized process American (171290) | 1 oz | 474 mg | 21% | 5.1 g | 1671 mg |
| Parmesan, grated (171247) | 1 oz | 511 mg | 22% | 8.1 g | 1804 mg |
In USDA data, the generic low sodium entries and the two ricottas sit under 35 milligrams per ounce; Swiss, the fresh cheeses and the goat cheeses run from about 53 to 138 milligrams; and the aged, brined and grating cheeses climb from about 178 milligrams for brie to 511 milligrams for grated Parmesan. Our guides to ricotta, Swiss cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese, goat cheese, mozzarella, feta, Parmesan and blue cheese cover each one in depth, and our cheese guide compares the types.
What FDA's sodium label terms mean
FDA’s nutrient content claim rule for sodium, 21 CFR 101.61, defines the words a package may use, and a sodium or salt claim may be made only with one of the defined terms. The rule also separates “salt” from “sodium”: salt refers to sodium chloride, and the two words are not synonymous (21 CFR 101.61).
- Sodium free: “sodium free,” “free of sodium,” “no sodium,” “zero sodium,” “without sodium” and the related terms require less than 5 milligrams of sodium per reference amount customarily consumed and per labeled serving, with no ingredient that is sodium chloride or is generally understood to contain sodium unless it is flagged as adding a trivial amount (21 CFR 101.61).
- Very low sodium: “very low sodium” or “very low in sodium” requires 35 milligrams or less of sodium per reference amount; when the reference amount is 30 grams or less, or 2 tablespoons or less, the food must also have 35 milligrams or less per 50 grams (21 CFR 101.61).
- Low sodium: “low sodium,” “low in sodium,” “little sodium,” “contains a small amount of sodium” or “low source of sodium” requires 140 milligrams or less per reference amount, with the same per-50-gram test for small reference amounts (21 CFR 101.61).
- Reduced sodium: “reduced sodium,” “reduced in sodium,” “sodium reduced,” “less sodium,” “lower sodium” or “lower in sodium” requires at least 25 percent less sodium per reference amount than an appropriate reference food; the label must name the reference food and the percent or fraction of the difference, and the claim is not allowed when the reference food already meets “low sodium” (21 CFR 101.61).
- Unsalted or no salt added: “unsalted,” “without added salt” and “no salt added” are allowed only when no salt is added during processing and the food it resembles is normally processed with salt; if the food is not sodium free, the label must add “not a sodium free food” or “not for control of sodium in the diet” (21 CFR 101.61).
USDA’s generic “low sodium” and “no sodium added” cheese entries are separate foods from the regular versions, and the four lowest rows of the table all sit under 10 milligrams per ounce in USDA data. Whether a package can carry a claim depends on its own analysis, so check the Nutrition Facts label and the ingredient list.
Fresh and Swiss-style entries in the USDA data
- Ricotta: part-skim ricotta lists 28 milligrams of sodium per ounce in USDA data and whole-milk ricotta 31, with 3.2 and 2.1 grams of protein; a half-cup bowl is about four times the figure shown.
- Cottage cheese and cream cheese: 2% cottage cheese and cream cheese list 87 and 89 milligrams per ounce in USDA data; 1% cottage cheese lists 115 milligrams, and the no-sodium-added 1% entry lists 4.
- Swiss: regular Swiss lists 53 milligrams per ounce in USDA data, the lowest of the aged cheeses in the table; USDA’s low sodium Swiss entry lists 4 milligrams.
- Mozzarella: USDA SR Legacy has no entry named fresh mozzarella, so the whole-milk entry is the nearest match at 138 milligrams per ounce, while the low-moisture whole-milk entry used for shredding lists 201 milligrams; USDA’s low sodium mozzarella entry lists 5 milligrams.
Higher-sodium cheeses for contrast
In USDA data, feta lists 323 milligrams per ounce, blue cheese 325, hard Parmesan 333, pasteurized process American 474 and grated Parmesan 511; USDA’s generic low sodium Parmesan entry lists 18 milligrams. Brie and cheddar, at 178 and 185 milligrams per ounce in USDA data, sit in the middle; our guides to brie, cheddar, gouda, provolone, camembert and Monterey Jack cover other cheeses in that band.
Reading the Nutrition Facts label for sodium
- The Daily Value: FDA sets the Daily Value for sodium at 2,300 milligrams (21 CFR 101.9), and its consumer guide calls 5% DV or less per serving low and 20% DV or more high; in the table, every entry through whole-milk mozzarella is at or under 6% of the FDA Daily Value per ounce, and only process American and grated Parmesan reach FDA’s 20% DV mark.
- Taste and packages: FDA’s guide says foods that do not taste salty can still carry sodium, and that sodium can vary significantly between similar foods, so to find a cheese low in sodium on the shelf, compare Nutrition Facts labels per serving rather than relying on the USDA averages here.
For the wider picture, our guide to lower-sodium eating ranks other foods the same way, and our sibling guide to snacks high in fiber covers the other half of a cheese-and-fruit plate.
Allergen note
FDA lists milk among the nine major food allergens, and for allergen labeling FDA counts milk from domesticated cows, goats, sheep or other ruminants as “milk,” so a cheese made from goat’s or sheep’s milk must still be declared, with the animal named, such as “Contains goat milk” (FDA, Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens, Edition 5).
Frequently Asked Questions
Which cheese has the least sodium?
The lowest sodium cheese entries in USDA data are the generic low sodium ones for cottage cheese, Swiss, mozzarella and cheddar or colby, at 4 to 6 milligrams per ounce; among regular cheeses, part-skim ricotta leads at about 28 milligrams, then whole-milk ricotta at 31 and Swiss at 53.
Is Swiss lower in sodium than cheddar?
Yes, in USDA data: regular Swiss lists 53 milligrams per ounce and cheddar 185 milligrams.
How does FDA define low sodium on a label?
Under 21 CFR 101.61, “low sodium” means 140 milligrams of sodium or less per reference amount customarily consumed, plus 140 milligrams or less per 50 grams when the reference amount is 30 grams or less; “very low sodium” is 35 milligrams or less.
What does reduced sodium mean?
At least 25 percent less sodium per reference amount than an appropriate reference food, with that food and the percentage named on the label; the claim cannot be used if the reference food is already low sodium (21 CFR 101.61).
Are cheeses made from goat’s milk lower in sodium?
Not especially in USDA data: semisoft and soft goat cheese list 118 and 130 milligrams per ounce, more than Swiss or ricotta and less than cheddar; FDA counts goat’s milk as the milk allergen for labeling.
Why is every cheese shown per ounce?
So the entries compare on equal weight, 28.35 grams in USDA portion data; multiply the cottage cheese and ricotta rows by four for a half-cup bowl.
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 health condition. 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: Low Fat Cheese: USDA Fat per Ounce, Ranked, Low Sodium Foods: USDA List, Foods High in Sodium and Label Terms, Swiss Cheese: Why It Has Holes, Nutrition and Sodium Facts, Ricotta: Cheese Nutrition, Part Skim and Ricotta vs Cottage Cheese.