Cheese fondue: dense, calcium rich, slower with wine

The only trial we found on fondue itself is a crossover in 20 healthy adults aged 23 to 58. Eaten with white wine and schnapps, a fondue meal left the stomach more slowly than with tea and water, with 7.4 percent of a tracer recovered over 4 hours (95% CI 4.6 to 10.3) against 18.1 percent (15.2 to 20.9). Indigestion was no worse either way. That was a single meal watched for 4 hours. On paper fondue is dense. USDA survey data give 276 calories, 21.2 g fat, 19.3 g protein and 639 mg calcium per 3.5 oz (100 g). The same recipe lists 0 g alcohol. That is an assumption of that recipe and not a measurement. By the USDA retention table for alcoholic beverages, alcohol stirred into a hot liquid keeps 85% of its alcohol, and stirring in then simmering still keeps 40% after 15 minutes and 35% after 30 minutes. That table covers cooking methods, not a served fondue pot, so do not read the 0 g figure as alcohol-free.

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

How much is actually in it

• FNDDS lists cheese fondue at 276 calories, 21.2 g fat, 19.3 g protein and 639 mg calcium per 3.5 oz (100 g), with 0 g alcohol in the recipe. — USDA survey food Cheese fondue (fdc 2705791) (n = -) Evidence E source
  276 calories, 21.2 g fat, 19.32 g protein, 639 mg calcium, 303 mg sodium, 0 g ethanol per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• FNDDS sizes an unspecified serving of cheese fondue at 52 g, about 144 calories and 332 mg calcium, and a tablespoon at 13 g. — USDA survey food Cheese fondue (fdc 2705791), household measures (n = -) Evidence E source
  1.8 oz (52 g) serving: about 144 calories, 11 g fat, 332 mg calcium, 158 mg sodium (recalculated from 100 g); 1 tablespoon 13 g: 35.9 calories

What your body absorbs

• In a crossover trial in 20 adults, fondue eaten with white wine and schnapps left the stomach more slowly than with tea and water, 7.4% vs 18.1% of the tracer recovered over 4 h, without more indigestion. — 20 healthy adults (14 men) aged 23-58, one fondue meal (3260 kJ, 32% fat) per arm (n = 20) Evidence B source
  Cumulative 13C recovery 7.4% (95% CI 4.6 to 10.3) with wine/schnapps vs 18.1% (15.2 to 20.9) with tea/water; P<0.001; no difference in dyspeptic symptoms
• In 9 women given 400 mg calcium from different foods, Emmental cheese raised urinary calcium 141% above control, a sign the calcium was absorbed. — 9 female volunteers, single 400 mg calcium loads in random order (n = 9) Evidence B source
  Urinary calcium +141% vs control with cheese (milk +107%, calcium salt +75%)

What cooking and storage change

• In a 6-week trial in 162 overweight adults over 50, eating 4.2 oz (120 g) of cheese a day melted rather than unmelted raised total cholesterol by 7.7 mg/dL (0.20 mmol/L) and triglycerides by 15 mg/dL (0.17 mmol/L). — 162 overweight adults aged 50 and over, 120 g cheddar daily for 6 weeks (n = 162) Evidence B source
  Total cholesterol +0.20 +/- 5.8 mg/dL (0.15 mmol/L) and triglycerides +0.17 +/- 7.1 mg/dL (0.08 mmol/L), melted vs unmelted; no difference in LDL or HDL
• By the USDA retention table for alcoholic beverages, alcohol stirred into a hot liquid keeps 85% of its alcohol, and stirring in then simmering keeps 40% after 15 minutes and 35% after 30 minutes. — USDA retention factors for alcohol in the group Beverages, by cooking method (n = -) Evidence E source
  Alcohol retained: stirred into hot liquid 85% (5002), stirred and simmered 15 min 40% (5004), 30 min 35% (5005)

What it does to your health

• In a 3-week crossover trial in 22 adults, a diet with Swiss-type Jarlsberg cheese gave 0.27 mmol/L lower total cholesterol than one with the same fat from butter. — 22 adults aged 23-54, three isoenergetic diets of 3 weeks each (n = 22) Evidence B source
  Total cholesterol -10 mg/dL (-0.27 mmol/L) (P=0.03); LDL -8.5 mg/dL (-0.22 mmol/L) (P=0.06, not significant)

Safety, limits and interactions

• A German case-case study of 442 Campylobacter patients linked holiday meat fondue with higher odds of infection, aOR 2.2. — 182 case-patients and 260 control-patients with notified Campylobacter enteritis, Germany 2018-2019 (n = 442) Evidence C source
  Meat fondue aOR 2.2 (95% CI 1.2-3.8)
• The FDA label for transdermal selegiline (EMSAM) warns that an MAOI combined with a high tyramine diet may cause a hypertensive crisis. — Adults using EMSAM (selegiline transdermal system) at 9 mg/24 h or 12 mg/24 h (n = -) Evidence E source
  Risk named: hypertensive crisis (label section 2.3)

Who this works differently for

• Two patients on isoniazid developed sudden high blood pressure after eating Gruyere cheese, and it did not recur after isoniazid was stopped. — 2 adult patients on isoniazid treatment (n = 2) Evidence D source
  Paroxysmal hypertension after Gruyere; did not recur after isoniazid was stopped
• CDC states there is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy and that all types of alcohol, including wine, beer and liquor, can be harmful, with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders as the possible lifelong outcome. This applies to cheese fondue made with wine or kirsch. — pregnant women Evidence E source
  No known safe amount of alcohol in pregnancy, risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

The bottom line

USDA sets an unspecified serving at 52 g, which works out from the 100 g values to about 144 calories and 332 mg calcium. As a main course the plate is probably bigger, and the trial meal above was 3260 kJ. Calcium from this kind of cheese does get absorbed. In 9 women given 400 mg calcium as cold Emmental, urinary calcium rose 141 percent above control, in a single 6-hour test. Melting may change what cheese does to blood fats. In a 6-week trial in 162 overweight adults aged 50 and over, 4.2 oz (120 g) of cheddar a day eaten melted raised total cholesterol by 7.7 mg/dL (0.20 mmol/L) and triglycerides by 15 mg/dL (0.17 mmol/L) compared with the same cheese unmelted. LDL and HDL did not differ, and the cheese was cheddar without wine. A separate 3-week crossover in 22 adults compared cold Swiss-type Jarlsberg with the same fat from butter. Total cholesterol came out 10 mg/dL (0.27 mmol/L) lower on the cheese diet, while the 8.5 mg/dL (0.22 mmol/L) LDL difference did not reach significance. Who should take care. If a meat fondue shares the table, the risk sits with the raw meat. A German study of 442 Campylobacter patients linked holiday meat fondue with higher odds of infection, aOR 2.2 (95% CI 1.2 to 3.8). Those are odds from a comparison of patients, and they concern meat fondue. Two patients taking isoniazid developed sudden high blood pressure after eating Gruyere, and it did not happen again once the drug was stopped. Two cases settle little, but for anyone taking isoniazid, Gruyere is a question for the prescriber. MAO inhibitors are the better known case. The FDA label for one of them, transdermal selegiline (EMSAM), warns that an MAOI combined with a high tyramine diet may cause a hypertensive crisis. The label lists food classes, not tyramine amounts in a given dish, so for anyone taking an MAO inhibitor a cheese fondue is a question for the prescriber. Fondue made with wine, and the schnapps served beside it, may still carry alcohol. CDC states there is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy and that all types of alcohol, including wine and liquor, can be harmful, with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders as the possible lifelong outcome. We have no card on fondue for children, so this page cannot tell you it is safe for them.

Sources

1. fnd-r6-01 · reference dataset
   Energy 276 KCAL; Total lipid (fat) 21.2 G; Protein 19.32 G; Calcium, Ca 639 MG; Sodium, Na 303 MG; Alcohol, ethyl 0 G per 100 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, code 14630100 (fdc 2705791), Cheese fondue · checked 2026-10-02
2. fnd-r6-02 · reference dataset
   1 tablespoon 13 g; Quantity not specified 52 g; 1 tablespoon: Energy 35.9 KCAL, Calcium 83.1 MG, Sodium 39.4 MG
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, code 14630100 (fdc 2705791), Cheese fondue · checked 2026-10-02
3. fnd-r6-03 · randomized crossover trial
   Gastric emptying was significantly faster when fondue was consumed with tea or water than with wine or schnapps (cumulative percentage dose of (13)C recovered 18.1%, 95% confidence interval 15.2% to 20.9% v 7.4%, 4.6% to 10.3%; P<0.001).
   BMJ 2010;341:c6731 · checked 2026-10-02
4. fnd-r6-06 · randomized crossover trial
   The urinary calcium excretion with cheese was 141% (P = 0.001), with milk was 107% (P = 0.004), and with calcium salt was 75% (P = 0.02) above that of the control session.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 1997 · checked 2026-10-02
5. fnd-r6-04 · randomized controlled trial
   Melted cheese increased total cholesterol concentrations by 0.20 ± 0.15 mmol L-1 and triglyceride concentrations by 0.17 ± 0.08 mmol L-1 compared to unmelted cheese.
   Food Funct, 2024 · checked 2026-10-02
6. sf-alc-r3-2 · USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, dataset
   USDA-RETN-R6:5001 ALC BEV,NO HEAT,STORED OVERNIGHT alcohol 70% retained; 5002 ALC BEV,STIRRED INTO HOT LIQ 85%; 5003 ALC BEV,FLAMED 75%; 5010 ALC BEV,NOT STIRRED IN,BKD 25 MIN 45%; 5004 ALC BEV,STIRRED,BKD/SIMMRD 15 MIN 40%; 5005 30 MIN 35%; 5006 1 HR 25%; 5007 1.5 HR 20%; 5008 2 HR 10%; 5009 2.5 HR 5%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6, 2007, Beverages, Retn_Codes 5001-5010 (alcohol) · checked 2026-10-08
7. fnd-r6-05 · randomized crossover trial
   Total cholesterol was significantly lower after the CH diet than after the BC diet (-0.27 mmol/l; P=0.03), while the difference in LDL-cholesterol was found to be below significance level (-0.22 mmol/l; P=0.06).
   Br J Nutr, 2004 · checked 2026-10-02
8. fnd-r6-07 · case-control study
   We analysed 182 data sets from case-patients and 260 from control-patients and found associations of Campylobacter infections after the holidays with meat fondue (aOR 2.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-3.8) and raclette grill meals with meat (aOR 1.5; 95% CI 1.0-2.4) consumed on the holidays.
   Sci Rep, 2021 · checked 2026-10-02
9. sf-tymaoi-19 · agency advice
   MAOIs including EMSAM combined with a high tyramine diet may cause a hypertensive crisis.
   EMSAM (selegiline transdermal system), FDA-approved label, sections 2.3 and 7.2 (Table 5) · checked 2026-10-08
10. fnd-r6-08 · case series
    Paroxystic hypertension was observed in two patients receiving isoniazide treatment, after they had ingested gruyere cheese. It is highly probable that isoniazide was responsible, as hypertension did not reoccur under the same conditions after interrupting treatment.
    Ann Med Interne (Paris), 1980 · checked 2026-10-02
11. sf-alcpreg-r6-fondue-1 · agency advice
    There is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy...All types of alcohol can be harmful, including red or white wine, beer, and liquor...Alcohol use during pregnancy can cause a range of lifelong behavioral, intellectual, and physical disabilities known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs).
    CDC, About Alcohol Use During Pregnancy · checked 2026-10-08