Brie cheese: rich in saturated fat, with a Listeria question

A meta-analysis of 5 randomized trials found that about 5.1 oz (145 g) of cheese a day lowered LDL cholesterol by 6.5 percent compared with butter (8.5 mg/dL (95% CI 5.4 to 11; metric: 0.22 mmol/l, 0.14 to 0.29)), and the cheeses in those trials were hard ones, with no brie among them. Camembert, a white-rind soft cheese of the same type, was tested directly. In 159 adults with mildly high cholesterol, two 1.1 oz (30 g) servings a day for 5 weeks left blood lipids and blood pressure unchanged, in a short trial whose abstract reports no confidence interval. Almost all the trials behind this page used Camembert, because we found none on brie itself. Per 100 g, US tables give brie 334 calories, 17.4 g saturated fat and 629 mg sodium, from a single record with no sample spread. A typical serving in US surveys is 21 g, and a whole 4.5 oz package weighs 4.5 oz (128 g). The real safety question with brie is Listeria, and pasteurization lowers that risk without removing it.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• UK food tables give brie without its rind 343 calories, 29.1 g fat and 256 mg calcium per 3.5 oz (100 g), close to US values on energy but higher on calcium. — CoFID 2021 record 12-344, Cheese, Brie, with outer rind removed (n = 1 record) Evidence E source
  343 calories, fat 29.1 g, saturated fat 18.2 g, protein 20.3 g, calcium 256 mg, water 48.7 g per 3.5 oz (100 g) (USDA: calcium 184 mg)

What a real portion looks like

• US dietary surveys count a typical unspecified serving of brie as 21 g and a 1-inch cube as 17 g, while a whole 4.5 oz package weighs 4.5 oz (128 g). — USDA FNDDS, food code 14103020, Cheese, Brie (fdc_id 2705708) (n = 6 portion measures) Evidence E source
  Quantity not specified 21 g; 1 cubic inch 17 g; 1 package (4.5 oz) 128 g; 1 cup sliced 144 g

What your body absorbs

• In a 4-way crossover trial of 24 people, native folate from Camembert was less bioavailable than folate from spinach, with high variability between subjects. — 24 subjects, randomized four-period crossover with stable isotope dilution assays (n = 24) Evidence B source
  Bioavailability ranking spinach > wheat germ and Camembert; variability of AUC and Cmax high for Camembert

What cooking and storage change

• Across 32 dairy outbreaks in Canada and the US, pasteurized products caused 17 deaths and 7 fetal losses, and Listeria was behind 10 of those 12 outbreaks. — 32 laboratory-confirmed dairy-associated outbreaks, Canada and USA, 2007-2020 (n = 32 outbreaks) Evidence C source
  Pasteurized: 12 outbreaks, 174 cases, 17 deaths, 7 fetal losses; unpasteurised: 20 outbreaks, 449 cases, 5 deaths
• Pooled surveys across 173 studies found Listeria in 3.44% of raw milk samples but only 0.60% of pasteurized milk samples. — 173 studies of milk and dairy supply chains worldwide (n = 173 studies) Evidence C source
  Raw milk 3.44% (95% CI 2.61 to 4.28) versus pasteurized milk 0.60% (0.00 to 2.06); dairy products 4.60%
• Across 918 growth curves, Listeria grew faster in foods as storage temperature rose, with dairy one of seven food categories modeled. — 918 growth curves (16,234 time points) in dairy, milk, egg, fish, plant-based, meat and mixed foods (n = 918 curves) Evidence D source
  Square root of growth rate rises 0.015 (log10 CFU/h)^1/2 per degree C

What it does to your health

• In a crossover RCT of 71 women aged 70 and over with mild cognitive impairment, 1.2 oz (33.4 g) of Camembert daily for 3 months raised BDNF but not MMSE scores. — 71 community-dwelling Japanese women aged 70 or older with mild cognitive impairment, 3 months per period (n = 71) Evidence B source
  BDNF interaction significant in secondary (P = .024) and combined (P = .039) analyses, not in primary; no change in MMSE
• Among 1,035 Japanese women aged 65 and over, eating Camembert was linked to lower odds of mild cognitive decline (OR 0.448). — 1,035 community-dwelling women aged 65 or older, Japan (n = 1035) Evidence C source
  OR 0.448 (95% CI 0.214 to 0.936) for mild cognitive decline with Camembert intake

Safety, limits and interactions

• In a 2022 E. coli O103 outbreak in England and Wales, eating an unpasteurised brie-style cheese carried an odds ratio of 57.5 for illness. — 11 cases and 24 controls, STEC O103:H2 outbreak, England and Wales, 2022 (n = 35) Evidence C source
  OR 57.5 (95% CI 3.10 to 1,060) for the brie-style cheese
• A 2020 Swiss listeriosis outbreak linked to contaminated brie hospitalized six people in Valais, one of whom died, and ended after the recall. — 6 hospitalized cases, canton of Valais, March to May 2020 (n = 6) Evidence D source
  6 hospitalized, 1 death; outbreak ended after producer recall
• Two cases of Listeria meningitis in Luxembourg were traced with high likelihood to contaminated Camembert in immunocompromised patients. — 2 immunocompromised patients, Luxembourg (n = 2) Evidence D source
  Listeria meningitis linked to contaminated Camembert
• An umbrella review of 9 systematic reviews found pregnancy listeriosis mostly strikes in the third trimester (66%) and advises avoiding unpasteurised dairy. — 9 systematic reviews covering 330 studies and 487 patients (n = 9 reviews) Evidence C source
  66% of infections in third trimester versus 3% in first
• CDC states that pregnant women are 10 times more likely to get a Listeria infection. — Pregnant women, CDC food safety guidance Evidence E source
  10 times higher likelihood of Listeria infection in pregnancy

What people believe that the data does not support

• In a 5-week trial of 159 adults with mild high cholesterol, two 1.1 oz (30 g) servings of Camembert a day did not change blood lipids or blood pressure. — 159 untreated moderately hypercholesterolemic adults, 3-week run-in plus 5 weeks (n = 159) Evidence B source
  No change in serum lipids or blood pressure with 2 x 30 g Camembert daily versus full-fat yogurt
• A meta-analysis of 5 RCTs found that about 5.1 oz (145 g) of cheese a day lowered LDL cholesterol by 6.5% compared with butter. — 5 RCTs comparing hard cheese with butter in healthy adults (n = 5 RCTs) Evidence A source
  LDL-C -8.5 mg/dL (95% CI -11 to -5.4; metric: -0.22 mmol/l, -0.29 to -0.14), HDL-C -1.9 mg/dL (-3.5 to -0.77; metric: -0.05 mmol/l, -0.09 to -0.02), triglycerides unchanged; weighted mean cheese intake 145 g/d

Who this works differently for

• Pooled case data show listeriosis linked to pregnancy has a median incubation of 27.5 days, far longer than the 2 days seen for bacteremia. — 37 invasive listeriosis cases with single known exposure, including 12 pregnancy-associated (n = 37) Evidence C source
  Median incubation 27.5 days (range 17-67) in pregnancy versus 9 days CNS and 2 days bacteremia

What is still unknown

• US food tables give brie about 334 calories, 20.8 g protein, 17.4 g saturated fat and 629 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), from a single record with no sample spread. — USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy, FDC 172177, Cheese, brie (n = 1 record) Evidence E source
  334 calories, protein 20.75 g, fat 27.68 g, saturated fat 17.41 g, sodium 629 mg, calcium 184 mg, vitamin B12 1.65 ug, vitamin A 174 ug RAE per 3.5 oz (100 g)

The bottom line

Pooled surveys from 173 studies found Listeria in 0.60 percent of pasteurized milk samples against 3.44 percent of raw milk samples, measured in milk and never in brie. Contamination can still happen after pasteurization. Across 32 dairy outbreaks in Canada and the US from 2007 to 2020, the 12 caused by pasteurized products led to 17 deaths and 7 fetal losses, with Listeria behind 10 of them, counted per outbreak and never per portion. In 2022 an unpasteurised brie-style cheese in England and Wales carried an odds ratio of 57.5 for E. coli O103 illness, with a confidence interval running from 3.1 to 1,060. A 2020 Swiss outbreak traced to brie hospitalized six people in Valais, one of whom died, and it ended with the recall. Pregnancy is the main caution. CDC says pregnant women are 10 times more likely to get a Listeria infection. An umbrella review of 9 systematic reviews found that 66 percent of pregnancy infections came in the third trimester, and that prevention rested on avoiding unpasteurised dairy. In pooled case data, pregnancy listeriosis showed up a median 27.5 days after exposure (range 17 to 67), from only 12 pregnancy cases, so illness can arrive weeks after the cheese. Two patients with weakened immunity in Luxembourg developed Listeria meningitis traced to Camembert, in a case report from 1990. Laboratory growth curves show Listeria growing faster as storage temperature rises, with no separate figure for brie. The brain claims are thin. In 71 Japanese women aged 70 and over with mild cognitive impairment, 1.2 oz (33.4 g) of Camembert a day for 3 months moved a blood marker called BDNF in secondary analyses only, and their cognitive screening scores did not change. A survey of 1,035 older Japanese women linked eating Camembert with lower odds of mild cognitive decline (OR 0.448, 95% CI 0.214 to 0.936), a single snapshot that cannot show which came first.

Sources

1. brie-daily-r4-02 · dataset
   Cheese, Brie, with outer rind removed (12-344): Energy 343 kcal; Fat 29.1 g; Satd FA 18.20 g; Protein 20.3 g; Calcium 256 mg; Water 48.7 g
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England, code 12-344 · checked 2026-09-30
2. brie-daily-r4-03 · dataset
   Cheese, Brie (FNDDS 14103020): 1 package (4.5 oz) 128 g; 1 cup, sliced 144 g; 1 cup, melted 240 g; 1 cubic inch 17 g; Quantity not specified 21 g
   USDA FNDDS (Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies), food code 14103020, fdc_id 2705708 · checked 2026-09-30
3. brie-daily-r4-07 · RCT crossover
   Each of the 24 subjects received the four experimental items separated by a 14-day equilibrium phase... The variability of AUC and C(max) was moderate for spinach and oral solution of pteroylmonoglutamic acid but high for Camembert cheese and very high for wheat germs... When comparing the ratio estimates of AUC and C(max) for the different test foods, highest bioavailability was found for spinach followed by that for wheat germs and Camembert cheese.
   Food Funct, 2015 · checked 2026-09-30
4. brie-daily-r4-11 · systematic review
   Twenty outbreaks involving unpasteurized products resulted in 449 confirmed cases of illness, 124 hospitalizations, and five deaths. Twelve outbreaks involving pasteurized products resulted in 174 confirmed cases of illness, 134 hospitalizations, 17 deaths, and seven fetal losses. Listeria accounted for 10 out of 12 outbreaks from pasteurized products from 2007 through 2020.
   Can J Public Health, 2022 · checked 2026-09-30
5. brie-daily-r4-12 · meta-analysis
   Subgroup analysis showed that L. monocytogenes prevalence in raw milk (3.44%, 95% CI: 2.61%-4.28%) was significantly higher than in pasteurized milk (0.60%, 95% CI: 0.00%-2.06%).
   Foodborne Pathog Dis, 2024 · checked 2026-09-30
6. brie-daily-r4-16 · meta-regression (lab)
   Meta-regression was applied to the square root of growth rates (√μ) as a function of temperature. Food matrix was a significant random effect, with the overall model yielding an intercept of 0.043 (log₁₀ CFU/h)1ᐟ2 and a slope of 0.015 (log₁₀ CFU/h)1ᐟ2C-1
   Food Res Int, 2026 · checked 2026-09-30
7. brie-daily-r4-06 · RCT crossover
   The MFC group was provided with 33.4 g MFC (camembert cheese) daily for 3 months... A total of 71 older women aged ≥70 years with MCI based on selected criteria in 689 community-dwelling women... Significant interactions were observed in BDNF after intervention of MFC intake in the secondary (F = 5.368, P = .024) and combined analyses (F = 4.354, P = .039) but not the primary analysis.
   J Am Med Dir Assoc, 2019 · checked 2026-09-30
8. brie-daily-r4-15 · cross-sectional
   After adjusting for confounders, multiple logistic regression identified four independent variables significantly associated with mild cognitive decline: Camembert cheese intake (odds ratio = 0.448, 95% confidence interval = 0.214-0.936), age, usual walking speed, and repetitive saliva swallowing test scores.
   Nutrients, 2024 · checked 2026-09-30
9. brie-daily-r4-08 · case-control
   Review of food history questionnaires identified cheese (particularly an unpasteurized brie-style cheese) and mixed salad leaves as potential vehicles... Eleven cases and 24 controls were included in the analysis. Consumption of the brie-style cheese of interest was associated with illness (OR 57.5, 95% confidence interval: 3.10-1,060).
   Epidemiol Infect, 2025 · checked 2026-09-30
10. brie-daily-r4-09 · case series
    In the canton of Valais, six hospitalized cases including one death occurred between end of March and the beginning of May 2020. The typing of these strains of L. monocytogenes showed a link to a larger Swiss outbreak associated with contaminated soft cheese (Brie). The outbreak ended once the producer recalled the incriminated cheese.
    Rev Med Suisse, 2020 · checked 2026-09-30
11. brie-daily-r4-10 · case series
    We describe two case-reports of listeria meningitis with high evidence of food-related illness due to the consumption of contaminated camembert.
    Bull Soc Sci Med Grand Duche Luxemb, 1990 · checked 2026-09-30
12. brie-daily-r4-14 · umbrella review
    Prevention in pregnant women was based on adherence to strict dietary recommendations, such as reheating leftovers until steamed and avoiding unpasteurised dairy products. Listeriosis infections were likely to occur in the third trimester (66%) rather than in the first trimester (3%) of pregnancy.
    BJOG, 2022 · checked 2026-09-30
13. brie-daily-r4-17 · agency guidance
    Pregnant women are 10 times more likely to get a Listeria infection.
    CDC, Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women · checked 2026-09-30
14. brie-daily-r4-04 · RCT
    One-hundred and fifty-nine moderate hypercholesterolemic subjects without treatment were instructed to consume two full-fat yoghurts (2 × 125 g) per day for 3 weeks (run-in period) and then for a further period of 5 weeks, either two full-fat yoghurts or two 30 g servings of Camembert cheese per day. We observed that over the 5-week daily consumption of two servings of Camembert cheese, blood pressure and serum lipids did not change in moderate hypercholesterolemic subjects.
    Int J Food Sci Nutr, 2014 · checked 2026-09-30
15. brie-daily-r4-05 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    Compared with butter intake, cheese intake (weighted mean difference: 145.0 g/d) reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) by 6.5% (-0.22 mmol/l; 95%CI: -0.29 to -0.14) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) by 3.9% (-0.05 mmol/l; 95%CI: -0.09 to -0.02) but had no effect on triglycerides.
    Nutr Rev, 2015 · checked 2026-09-30
16. brie-daily-r4-13 · meta-analysis
    A longer incubation period was observed for pregnancy-associated cases (median: 27.5 days; range: 17-67 days) than for CNS cases (median: 9 days; range: 1-14 days) and for bacteraemia cases (median: 2 days; range: 1-12 days).
    BMC Infect Dis, 2013 · checked 2026-09-30
17. brie-daily-r4-01 · dataset
    Cheese, brie (FDC 172177): Energy 334 kcal; Protein 20.75 g; Total lipid (fat) 27.68 g; Fatty acids, total saturated 17.41 g; Sodium, Na 629 mg; Calcium, Ca 184 mg; Vitamin B-12 1.65 ug; Vitamin A, RAE 174 ug per 100 g
    USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 2019-04-01, FDC 172177 (Cheese, brie) · checked 2026-09-30