Quark Cheese: What It Is, Nutrition and How It Compares

Quark is a fresh, soft, unripened cheese made by souring milk until the casein sets, then draining off the whey. USDA’s SR Legacy database has no entry for quark, so this guide explains what quark is, uses a clearly labeled nearest USDA entry for nutrition, compares it with other fresh dairy foods by USDA values only, and covers lactose, FDA allergen labeling and food safety.

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

What is quark?

Quark is a fresh cheese, meaning it is eaten soon after it is made rather than aged. A 2021 study in the journal Foods (Szkolnicka and colleagues) describes quark cheese as a type of fresh soft cheese obtained by acid coagulation of casein, a group of milk proteins, and showed that it can even be made from buttermilk instead of milk. Another 2021 paper in Foods (Lepesioti and colleagues) groups quark-type cheese with cream cheese as fresh, spreadable cheeses with a paste-like consistency that come mainly from combined acid and rennet curds.

In practice that means a smooth, thick, mildly tangy white cheese that is spooned rather than sliced. It sits somewhere between strained yogurt and a soft spreadable cheese in texture, and it has no rind.

Unlike monterey jack, quark has no US standard of identity. A search of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations for “quark” returns no results, so there is no federal rule setting its fat or moisture. The Lepesioti study, for example, made both full-fat and reduced-fat quark-type cheeses. The label is the only reliable guide to what a given tub contains. For a cheese that does have a federal standard, see our monterey jack guide.

Quark nutrition: the nearest USDA entries

Because SR Legacy has no quark entry, the table below gives the nearest labeled entry instead: “Cheese, cottage, nonfat, uncreamed, dry, large or small curd” (FDC 172181), a fresh acid-curd cheese sold without the creamy dressing. It is not quark, and its numbers will differ from any quark product. The other rows are fresh dairy foods people often compare with quark, shown per 100 grams with the percent of the FDA Daily Value.

The nearest entry also lists about 6.7 grams of carbohydrate, 1.56 grams of lactose and 81 grams of water per 100 grams in USDA’s data. Skyr, a strained cultured dairy food, is often compared with quark, but SR Legacy has no skyr entry either, so it is not in the table; our skyr guide covers it.

How quark compares with other fresh dairy foods

With no quark entry, the comparison has to rest on the USDA rows above, and the differences between those foods are large. Per 100 grams, the dry-curd and creamed cottage entries list 16% and 14% DV for sodium, while both plain strained yogurt entries list 2% DV. Saturated fat runs from 1% DV in the nonfat entries to 101% DV in cream cheese, which is mostly cream. Protein in the cottage and strained yogurt rows falls in a narrow band, from 18% to 22% DV, and calcium from 6% to 8% DV.

A quark product could land anywhere in that range depending on its fat content and whether salt is added, which is why its own Nutrition Facts label matters more than any comparison. Our guides to cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, cream cheese and ricotta cover each of those foods, and our kefir guide covers a drinkable cultured milk.

Is quark healthy?

There is no single answer for quark because products differ so much, and there is no USDA entry to anchor it. What the label shows is the place to start: calories, saturated fat and sodium per serving, and the ingredient list. FDA’s general guide for sodium is that 5% DV or less per serving is low and 20% DV or more is high. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030 say saturated fat consumption should not exceed 10% of total daily calories, and that people consuming dairy should include full-fat dairy with no added sugars, which makes the sugar line worth reading on flavored quark.

Lactose, labels and food safety

Lactose: a 2020 narrative review in the Journal of Translational Medicine (Facioni and colleagues) gave estimates of about 3.2 grams of lactose per 100 grams for cottage cheese and 3.5 grams for ricotta, compared with about 0.5 grams for cheddar, and noted that amounts vary by product. The 2021 Lepesioti study found that more intense heating of the milk left more residual lactose in quark-type cheese. People with lactose intolerance can look at our lactase guide and talk with a clinician.

Milk allergen: FDA lists milk as one of the nine major food allergens under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and packaged foods must declare it on the label. NIDDK explains that a milk allergy is a reaction to proteins in milk, which is different from lactose intolerance.

Listeria and pregnancy: FDA notes that, unlike many other foodborne bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes can grow at refrigerator temperatures, and it advises using ready-to-eat foods such as dairy as soon as possible. FDA says pregnant women are about 10 times more likely to get listeriosis than other healthy adults. FDA guidance for pregnant women says to avoid cheeses made with unpasteurized (raw) milk and queso fresco-type cheeses, even pasteurized ones, and lists other cheeses made with pasteurized milk as okay to eat. FDA’s page does not name quark, so check that the label says pasteurized milk and ask a clinician about your own situation.

How to use quark

• Stir first: a little liquid can collect on top; stir it back in for an even texture.
• Spreads and dips: mix it with herbs, garlic or chopped vegetables for a spread or dip.
• Baking: quark works as a base for cheesecake and other baked desserts, and it can stand in for some of the soft cheese in many recipes.
• Sweet bowls: top plain quark with fruit and nuts, and add sweetener to taste.
• Savory sauces: stir it into warm sauces off the heat so it stays smooth.
• Storing: keep it cold, close the tub after each use and follow the package date.

For a soft Italian cheese used in many of the same desserts, see our mascarpone guide.

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: Monterey Jack: Nutrition, the FDA Standard and Pepper Jack, Cottage Cheese: USDA Nutrition, Protein, Sodium and Lactose, Greek Yogurt: USDA Nutrition, Protein and Greek vs Regular Yogurt.