Emmental

Low FODMAP

By Michael EisenwasserUpdated September 22, 2026

Typical portion

Any typical portion Low

Emmental is Low FODMAP, a hard aged cheese that loses almost all its milk sugar during the long ageing process.

As a firm, aged cheese, the lactose is largely fermented away while it matures, leaving negligible FODMAPs at any typical portion.
Plain Emmental is a reliable pick, though watch for added ingredients in pre-shredded blends or spreads, which can change the picture.

Enjoy it sliced, melted, or grated over your favorite dishes, and reach for other aged hard cheeses when you want a similar savory boost.

Why emmental is rated low

Emmental is LOW at any typical portion, so the holey Swiss style cheese in a sandwich, on a board or melted over a gratin is a straightforward choice. Emmental is a firm cheese given a long maturing, and it carries no FODMAP group of note, which means there is nothing specific here to work around. That covers cheese used as cheese, and it is not a claim that the amount can go up indefinitely.

What changes your risk

The portion the rating speaks for Any typical portion reads LOW. That means a slice or a grating, not a block eaten in one sitting.
The bread and crackers under it Emmental spends most of its life on something. A slice on ordinary wheat bread or a wheat cracker puts the meal's FODMAP load somewhere the cheese never would, so the base is the part worth changing.
Fondue and melted dishes Classic fondue is rubbed with garlic and often built on stock or a seasoning blend, and that, not the cheese, is what makes the pot a problem. Melting does not lower the FODMAP content of anything, since heat leaves FODMAPs intact.
Shredded blends and cheese spreads Bags of shredded Swiss style blends, processed slices and spreadable tubs bring in ingredients beyond the cheese. Plain Emmental cut from the block is the form this rating describes.
The company it keeps in one meal A low rating applies per serving, not per meal. On a board or in a toastie, the total load of everything on the plate is what decides how the meal sits.

What else works

There is no need to replace Emmental, but it helps to know which cheeses it keeps company with. Cheddar, parmesan and swiss are hard, aged cheeses that behave the same way, so a grating cheese or a melting cheese is easy to find without leaving comfortable ground. When a recipe wants something soft and pourable instead, lactose-free milk and lactose-free yoghurt fill that role, and both are ordinary dairy with the lactase enzyme added, not dairy-free foods. Keep the fresh and soft cheeses in a separate mental box: ricotta, cottage cheese and cream cheese are not low at ordinary servings, and ordinary milk and ordinary yoghurt are not swaps for them either. Being a cheese is not what makes Emmental comfortable.

How to keep it low

Buy Emmental as a wedge or a block rather than in a shredded blend, and check the label on anything sold as Swiss style slices, since those are often a different product. Keep it wrapped in paper in the warmest part of the fridge so it stays supple and slices cleanly rather than crumbling. Take what you want to the plate and return the block, which keeps a typical portion honest. For a melted dish, skip the garlic rub on the pot and build flavour with garlic infused oil, white wine, chives or the green parts of spring onions, and serve it with gluten free bread or potatoes rather than a wheat loaf. It melts smoothly at a gentle heat, and rushing it on a high flame just makes it stringy.

Common questions

is emmental low fodmap

Yes. Emmental is LOW at any typical portion, whether it is sliced, grated or melted.

how much emmental is ok on a low fodmap diet

Any typical portion reads LOW. That covers normal cheese servings rather than unlimited amounts.

is cheese fondue low fodmap

The Emmental in the pot is LOW at any typical portion, but classic fondue is usually rubbed with garlic and built on stock, and that is where the FODMAP load comes from. Leave the garlic rub out and serve it with gluten free bread or potatoes.

can i eat emmental on the elimination phase

Yes, at any typical portion. Individual tolerance still varies.

Learn more

Where this rating comes from

Emmental has an estimated rating. Our sources have no direct measurement of it, so its rating is worked out from its ingredients and composition and from the closest measured foods, then checked a second time. The low, moderate and high cutoffs are those of Varney et al. (2017).

Feedback sent through the FODMAP Foods app has led to changes in this list.

See our full rating method →

Sources

Fructan and free fructose content of common Australian vegetables and fruit. Muir et al. (2007), J. Agricultural and Food Chemistry 55(16):6619-6627.
Measurement of short-chain carbohydrates in common Australian vegetables and fruits by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Muir et al. (2009), J. Agricultural and Food Chemistry 57(2):554-565.
Quantification of fructans, galacto-oligosaccharides and other short-chain carbohydrates in processed grains and cereals. Biesiekierski et al. (2011), J. Human Nutrition and Dietetics 24(2):154-176.
Dietary sorbitol and mannitol: food content and distinct absorption patterns between healthy individuals and patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Yao et al. (2014), J. Human Nutrition and Dietetics 27(Suppl 2):263-275.
FODMAPs: food composition, defining cutoff values and international application. Varney et al. (2017), J. Gastroenterology and Hepatology 32(Suppl 1):53-61. Supplies the low, moderate and high cutoffs used on this page.