Pecorino Romano: What It Is, Nutrition, PDO Rules and Lactose

Pecorino is the Italian name for cheeses made from sheep’s milk, and Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty grating cheese. USDA SR Legacy has no pecorino entry, but its Cheese, romano entry lists 110 calories, 9.0 g of protein and 18% of the Daily Value for sodium per ounce. This guide covers what pecorino cheese is, what the Pecorino Romano PDO rules require, how US rules define romano cheese, pecorino romano nutrition, is pecorino healthy, lactose research and how to cook with it.

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

What is pecorino?

Pecorino is a family of Italian sheep’s milk cheeses, and US law ties the name to sheep’s milk too: FDA’s romano standard allows the word Pecorino only for romano cheese made from sheep’s milk. The EU register eAmbrosia lists several pecorino cheeses as protected designations of origin, including Pecorino Romano, Pecorino Sardo, Pecorino Siciliano and Pecorino Toscano, plus smaller ones such as Pecorino Crotonese and Pecorino del Monte Poro. Pecorino Romano is file PDO-IT-0017 in the register, protected since June 21, 1996, under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96.

Pecorino Romano: what the PDO requires

The current specification summary, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on September 2, 2026, describes Pecorino Romano as a hard cooked cheese made exclusively from fresh whole milk from sheep. Under the single document, the milk must come from holdings in the defined area, the whole of Sardinia and Lazio plus the province of Grosseto in Tuscany, where milk production, processing and ripening must all take place. The lamb rennet comes from animals reared and slaughtered in the same area, and the single document says the milk may be subject to thermisation.

The PDO specification describes cylinders 25 to 35 cm across and 25 to 40 cm high, weighing 20 to 35 kg, with fat in the dry matter above 36%. Table cheese must mature for at least five months and grated Pecorino Romano for at least eight months. A Riserva label requires at least 18 months of maturing, production between December and March, and no more than 4% salt (sodium chloride) on a wet basis, according to the single document. Under the specification, the name is stamped all over the side of each wheel with a rhombus containing the stylized head of a sheep.

Romano cheese in US rules

In the United States, FDA’s standard of identity for romano cheese, 21 CFR 133.183, allows cow’s milk, sheep’s milk, goat’s milk or mixtures. The standard calls for a granular cheese with a hard, brittle rind, no more than 34% moisture and at least 38% milkfat in the solids, aged for at least five months; the milk may be pasteurized but does not have to be. Romano cheese made solely from sheep’s milk is named Romano cheese made from sheep’s milk and may be preceded by the word Pecorino, while the cow’s milk version may be called Vaccino and the goat’s milk version Caprino. So a tub labeled simply romano cheese may be cow’s milk; the name and ingredient list tell you which.

Pecorino romano nutrition (USDA)

USDA SR Legacy has no entry named pecorino or Pecorino Romano. The closest is Cheese, romano (FDC 171249), and the entry does not say which milk was used, so read it as the nearest labeled entry rather than an exact match. Portions use the USDA weight of 28.35 g for an ounce. %DV uses FDA Daily Values.

Protein and calcium stand out: an ounce supplies 18% of the Daily Value for protein and 23% for calcium in USDA data, with 17% for phosphorus. See our guides to high-protein foods, foods high in calcium and foods high in phosphorus for other sources.

Sodium is the number to watch. USDA lists 406 milligrams per ounce, 18% of the Daily Value, and FDA describes 20% DV or more per serving as high. Saturated fat is 24% of the Daily Value per ounce in the same USDA entry, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030 say saturated fat consumption should not exceed 10% of total daily calories. Because grated romano is often used a spoonful at a time, the Nutrition Facts label on your package is the place to check the serving size and sodium. Our low-sodium foods guide explains how to read it.

Romano beside two other hard cheeses

The table compares one ounce of three USDA SR Legacy entries: Cheese, romano (FDC 171249), Cheese, parmesan, hard (FDC 170848) and Cheese, cheddar (FDC 173414). %DV uses FDA Daily Values.

In USDA data, romano is the saltiest of the three, with more than twice the sodium of cheddar per ounce, while calories are almost the same. Our parmesan guide covers the cow’s milk Italian grating cheese, and our cheddar cheese guide covers the third column. For other sheep’s milk cheeses, see Manchego, feta and halloumi.

Is pecorino healthy?

Pecorino can fit into a varied diet, and its strong flavor means recipes tend to call for it grated rather than in thick slices. Based on USDA data for the romano entry, an ounce supplies a meaningful share of protein, calcium and phosphorus, along with a notable share of sodium and saturated fat.

No human trial we read tested pecorino itself for any health outcome, so this guide makes no claims beyond nutrient values and the rules that define the cheese. If you limit sodium for a medical reason, compare labels and ask your clinician how a salty grating cheese fits. Our cheese guide looks at cheese as a food group.

Lactose in pecorino

Research finds little lactose in many PDO cheeses: a 2021 study in the journal Foods tested 25 PDO cheeses at two accredited laboratories, and Pecorino Romano, Pecorino Sardo and Pecorino Siciliano all came in below the limit of quantification for lactose. Young Pecorino Toscano was the exception: the researchers measured lactose at 20 days and at 60 days of aging, but not at four months. The authors advised judging each PDO cheese case by case, after repeated analysis.

NIDDK, the US agency for digestive diseases, suggests that people with lactose intolerance try hard cheeses, like cheddar or Swiss, which are lower in lactose than other milk products, and it notes that lactose intolerance is different from a milk allergy. Our lactase guide covers lactase enzyme products.

Milk allergy and raw milk

For allergen labeling, FDA considers milk to be milk from domesticated cows, goats, sheep, or other ruminants, so pecorino is a milk allergen even though it contains no cow’s milk. FDA also notes that both raw and pasteurized milk can cause allergic reactions in people sensitive to milk proteins. If you have a milk allergy, ask an allergist before trying any sheep’s milk cheese.

FDA’s raw milk page lists unpasteurized soft and hard cheeses among its high-risk choices and explains that Listeria, often found in raw milk, can cause miscarriage or illness or death of a newborn. The Pecorino Romano single document allows thermisation of the milk and does not require pasteurization, and the US romano standard allows milk that is not pasteurized as long as the cheese ages at least five months. FDA’s general rule for hard cheeses without their own standard, 21 CFR 133.150, says raw milk cheese is aged at not less than 35°F for not less than 60 days. FDA advises checking labels for the word pasteurized; pregnant readers should ask their healthcare provider before choosing a cheese that is not labeled pasteurized.

How to use pecorino in the kitchen

• On pasta: finely grated Pecorino Romano goes into Roman pasta dishes such as cacio e pepe, carbonara and amatriciana; see our pasta guide.
• Taste before salting: the cheese is already salty, so add salt to the dish last.
• Grate it fine: a rasp grater gives fluffy shreds that melt into sauces without clumping.
• Melt it gently: stir grated pecorino into pasta off the heat with a little starchy cooking water so it stays smooth.
• Shave it over salads: thin shavings suit bitter greens, pears or fava beans.
• Wrap it well: keep wedges in wax or parchment paper in the refrigerator, and follow the date on grated packages.

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.

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