Know2eat

Mozzarella

What mozzarella has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

  • 1 Limited
  • 1 Insufficient
4 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About mozzarella

A stretched-curd cheese made by heating and kneading acidified curd until it forms elastic strands, then shaping and brining it briefly. Fresh mozzarella is sold in whey; the low-moisture block sold for pizza is a different, drier product.

Also known as Fior di latte, Pasta filata cheese, Pizza cheese

Muscle & Physical PerformanceHeart Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Muscle protein synthesis

Muscle & Physical Performance
Limited evidence

Contains complete dairy protein, dominated by casein, which raises blood amino acids slowly and for longer than whey. The muscle work has been done on isolated casein and on milk rather than on mozzarella, so this is an inference from protein type, not a tested finding.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Cardiovascular risk markers

Heart Health
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited for any individual cheese and cardiovascular outcomes. The wider dairy literature is genuinely contested — controlled trials show cheese fat raises LDL cholesterol relative to unsaturated oils, while cohort studies of cheese intake mostly find neutral associations with cardiovascular events. Both observations are real and the field has not resolved them.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Mozzarella

Ask about Mozzarella

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories299 kcal15%
Protein22.2 g44%
Total fat22.1 g28%
Carbohydrate2.4 g1%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars0 g—
Water50 g—
Fats
Saturated fat13.9 g70%
Monounsaturated fat6.57 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.765 g—
Cholesterol79 mg26%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.393 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A179 µg20%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0.4 µg2%
Vitamin E0.19 mg1%
Vitamin K2.3 µg2%
Thiamin (B1)0.03 mg3%
Riboflavin (B2)0.283 mg22%
Niacin (B3)0.104 mg1%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.141 mg3%
Vitamin B60.037 mg2%
Folate7 µg2%
Vitamin B122.28 µg95%
Choline15.4 mg3%
Minerals
Calcium505 mg39%
Iron0.44 mg2%
Magnesium20 mg5%
Phosphorus354 mg28%
Potassium76 mg2%
Sodium486 mg21%
Zinc2.92 mg27%
Copper0.011 mg1%
Manganese0.03 mg1%
Selenium17 µg31%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene57 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash3.28 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Cheese, mozzarella, whole milk (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170845).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Allergy

    Cow milk protein allergy

    A major regulated allergen. Mozzarella is casein-dominated and is not an option in milk protein allergy, whichever animal the milk came from.

  • Worth knowing

    Fresh unpasteurised mozzarella and Listeria

    Fresh high-moisture cheese made from unpasteurised milk, including some artisan buffalo mozzarella, has been implicated in Listeria outbreaks. Pregnancy advice is to choose pasteurised product, or to cook the cheese until steaming hot.

  • Worth knowing

    Lactose in fresh cheese

    Mozzarella is barely aged, so it retains more lactose than hard cheeses — still a small amount per portion, but not negligible for people who are highly sensitive.

  • Too much

    Sodium in low-moisture block

    Fresh mozzarella is comparatively mild in salt; the low-moisture pizza cheese it is often confused with is considerably saltier. The USDA entry named here is whole-milk mozzarella.