Feta
Feta is high in Histamine and Tyramine. It has low levels of FODMAPs, Lactose and Oxalates. If you're sensitive to any of these, check it against your profile before eating.
Intolerances
- Histamine (+liberators / DAO inhibitors)High
soft-ripened and brined cheeses build histamine as they ripen, so a runny or over-ripe piece has much more histamine than a young one. Eat them as fresh as possible to limit histamine.
- TyramineHigh
Aged cheese is the reference tyramine food — the 'cheese effect' is named after it. Bacteria break the milk protein down over months and decarboxylate its tyrosine, so tyramine tracks ageing almost linearly: a mature cheddar or a blue can exceed 100 mg/kg while a fresh cheese sits near zero. Cooking does not destroy it, and it keeps rising in the fridge after opening. If you take an MAOI antidepressant this is the single most important food to avoid — a large portion can trigger a hypertensive crisis. Sources: EFSA Panel on Biological Hazards, Scientific Opinion on tyramine and histamine in fermented foods, EFSA Journal 2011; McCabe-Sellers et al., J Food Compos Anal 2006; Gardner et al., J Clin Psychiatry 1996.
- FODMAPsLow
- LactoseLow
a fresh cheese, so less whey has drained than in an aged one — but curdling still takes most of the lactose out, landing around 0.5-2 g per 100 g. Far below milk, and small portions are usually well tolerated.
- OxalatesLow
- SalicylateNone
- SucroseNone
- OligosaccharidesNone
- SorbitolNone
- FructoseNone
- NickelNone
- GlutenNo
Intolerance levels are based on our documented scientific sources. See sources →
React to Histamine (+liberators / DAO inhibitors)? Check these too
More in Dairy
- 3.5% milk→
- Aged cheese→
- Blue cheese→
- Blue cheese→
- Brie→
- Buffalo milk mozzarella→
- Buttermilk→
- Camembert cheese→
- Casein→
- Cheddar→
- Cream cheese→
- Crème fraîche→
Frequently asked questions
Which intolerances does feta affect?
feta is notable for Histamine, Tyramine, FODMAPs, Lactose and Oxalates.
Does feta contain Histamine?
Yes — feta is high in Histamine. soft-ripened and brined cheeses build histamine as they ripen, so a runny or over-ripe piece has much more histamine than a young one. Eat them as fresh as possible to limit histamine.
Does feta contain Tyramine?
Yes — feta is high in Tyramine. Aged cheese is the reference tyramine food — the 'cheese effect' is named after it. Bacteria break the milk protein down over months and decarboxylate its tyrosine, so tyramine tracks ageing almost linearly: a mature cheddar or a blue can exceed 100 mg/kg while a fresh cheese sits near zero. Cooking does not destroy it, and it keeps rising in the fridge after opening. If you take an MAOI antidepressant this is the single most important food to avoid — a large portion can trigger a hypertensive crisis. Sources: EFSA Panel on Biological Hazards, Scientific Opinion on tyramine and histamine in fermented foods, EFSA Journal 2011; McCabe-Sellers et al., J Food Compos Anal 2006; Gardner et al., J Clin Psychiatry 1996.
Does feta contain FODMAPs?
feta contains only low levels of FODMAPs.
Does feta contain Lactose?
feta contains only low levels of Lactose. a fresh cheese, so less whey has drained than in an aged one — but curdling still takes most of the lactose out, landing around 0.5-2 g per 100 g. Far below milk, and small portions are usually well tolerated. Amounts vary by brand and recipe, so always check the label of the exact product.