Cotija cheese: very salty, and Listeria can survive in it

Nobody has run a trial on cotija itself, so the health evidence comes from hard cheese in general. In a meta-analysis of 5 randomized trials, eating hard cheese in place of butter, about 145 g a day on average, lowered LDL cholesterol by 6.5% (8.5 mg/dL (95% CI 5.4 to 11; metric: 0.22 mmol/L, 0.14 to 0.29)). That comparison is cheese against butter, which is different from cheese against eating no cheese, and 145 g is a trial amount, not a serving: at cotija's sodium level it would carry about 2,360 mg sodium. That is above the 2,300 mg a day that US guidelines set as the limit for adults. The number that matters most for cotija is salt. Seven USDA samples of US retail cotija averaged 1625 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), ranging from 1290 to 1970 mg, and artisan Mexican cotija may differ. A tablespoon, coded at 6 g in US survey data, works out to about 101 mg sodium. The other thing worth knowing is Listeria. In a lab test where cheese was deliberately contaminated, commercial cotija did not let the bacteria grow over 28 days in the fridge, but they survived, which is not the same as the cheese being safe. A US outbreak from 2014 to 2024 was linked to queso fresco and cotija from one maker.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• USDA lab samples of cotija average 1625 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), ranging from 1290 to 1970 mg across 7 samples. — USDA Foundation Foods, Cheese, cotija, solid, FDC 2647443, 7 samples (n = 7 samples) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: sodium 1625 mg (1290 to 1970), calcium 700 mg (358 to 855), saturated fat 15.9 g (12.2 to 19.9), total fat 27.2 g (20.9 to 33.7), protein 23.8 g (20.9 to 26.7)
• Iodine in cotija varied more than sixfold across USDA samples, from 18 to 114 ug per 3.5 oz (100 g). — USDA Foundation Foods, Cheese, cotija, solid, FDC 2647443, 7 samples (n = 7 samples) Evidence E source
  Iodine mean 64.8 ug per 3.5 oz (100 g), range 18.0 to 113.6, median 65.4; retinol 166.5 ug (125.7 to 225.4)

What a real portion looks like

• A tablespoon of crumbled cotija is coded at 6 g in US survey data, giving about 101 mg sodium, 22 calories and 43 mg calcium. — USDA FNDDS, Queso cotija, food code 14134000, fdc_id 2705746 (n = 3 measures) Evidence E source
  1 tablespoon 6 g: sodium 101 mg, 21.8 calories, calcium 43 mg; quantity not specified 21 g: sodium 341 mg, 74 calories; 1 cup 100 g: sodium 1625 mg

What your body absorbs

• In a crossover RCT in 24 young adults, branched-chain amino acids from 20 g of cheese protein entered the blood more slowly than from milk, peaking at about 120 minutes. — 24 healthy men and women, about 27 years, single doses of cheese or milk with 20 g protein (n = 24) Evidence B source
  Slower but more sustained BCAA appearance after cheese, peak about 120 min; lower insulin response than milk
• Over 5 hours the total amino acids absorbed from 2.3 oz (65 g) of Cheddar matched those from 13 fl oz (370 mL) of milk with the same 20 g of protein. — 24 healthy men and women, 65 g Cheddar or 13 fl oz (370 mL) 2% milk, 20 g protein each (n = 24) Evidence B source
  5-hour area under the curve for BCAA, leucine, essential and non-essential amino acids not different between cheese and milk

What it does to your health

• By a meta-analysis of 5 RCTs, eating hard cheese instead of butter lowered LDL cholesterol by 6.5% in healthy adults. — healthy adults, 12 RCTs reviewed, 5 RCTs of hard cheese vs butter pooled (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 (95% CI -3.5 to -0.77; metric: -0.05 mmol/L, -0.09 to -0.02), triglycerides unchanged
• By a meta-analysis of 7 RCTs, 4.8 oz (135 g) of cheese a day for 2 weeks or more lowered total cholesterol by 9.3 mg/dL (0.24 mmol/L) versus about 1.8 oz (52 g) of butter. — adults in 7 RCTs, hard or semi-hard cheese replacing butter isoenergetically, 14 days or longer (n = 7 RCTs) Evidence A source
  Total cholesterol -9.3 mg/dL (95% CI -13 to -5.8; metric: -0.24 mmol/L, -0.34 to -0.15), LDL-C -7.3 mg/dL (95% CI -10 to -4.6; metric: -0.19 mmol/L, -0.27 to -0.12), HDL-C -1.5 mg/dL (-0.04 mmol/L)

Safety, limits and interactions

• Lab tests found that commercial cotija did not let Listeria grow over 28 days at 7 C, likely because of its low water activity and acidity, though the bacteria survived. — commercial queso cotija and queso fresco from 5 manufacturers, 2 lots each, inoculated and stored at 7 C for 28 days (n = 5 manufacturers) Evidence D source
  Cotija: no growth, populations stable (aw 0.92, pH 5.32); queso fresco: growth over 2 log cfu/g in 4 of 5 products
• The FDA label for transdermal selegiline (EMSAM) at 9 mg/24 h or more lists aged cheeses among the tyramine foods to avoid. — Adults using EMSAM (selegiline transdermal system) at 9 mg/24 h or 12 mg/24 h (n = -) Evidence E source
  Avoid list in label Table 5, dairy class

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU rejected the claim that milk and cheese promote dental health in children, and no cheese health claim is authorized in the EU register. — EU Register on nutrition and health claims, entries matching cheese Evidence E source
  Cheese in the register: 0 authorized, 12 non-authorized

Who this works differently for

• In a secondary analysis of two RCTs in 197 middle-aged adults, 4.2 oz (120 g) of cheese a day for 6 weeks lowered LDL cholesterol within women, while a butter, casein and calcium mix raised it. — 197 middle-aged adults (41.6% male), 120 g cheese or deconstructed cheese daily for 6 weeks (n = 197) Evidence B source
  Cheese lowered total and LDL cholesterol vs deconstructed cheese overall; within women cheese lowered and butter-based mix raised these markers
• A US Listeria outbreak linked to queso fresco and cotija from one maker sickened 26 people in 11 states, including two pregnant women, one of whom lost her pregnancy. — US outbreak cases 2014 to 2024, Rizo-Lopez Foods queso fresco and cotija (n = 26) Evidence E source
  26 ill in 11 states, 23 hospitalized, 2 deaths, 1 pregnancy loss, 2 newborn infections
• FDA says pregnant women, older people and people with weakened immune systems should not eat unpasteurized milk products or any queso fresco-type cheeses, which carry a high Listeria risk. — pregnant women, the elderly, people with weakened immune systems Evidence E source
  Advised not to eat unpasteurized milk products or any queso fresco-type cheeses (high Listeria risk)
• NIH's kidney institute restates the US Dietary Guidelines limit of no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day for adults. Many people with chronic kidney disease need to limit sodium even more, and fluid retained from too much sodium can cause high blood pressure. — adults, people with chronic kidney disease Evidence E source
  Adults: no more than 2,300 mg sodium per day (DGA 2020-2025); many people with CKD need a lower limit set by their clinician

The bottom line

Pregnancy is where the Listeria point becomes serious. A US outbreak tied to queso fresco and cotija from one maker made 26 people ill in 11 states between 2014 and 2024, and two of them were pregnant women, one of whom lost her pregnancy. The CDC report does not say how many cases came from cotija rather than queso fresco. In the lab test, cotija was drier and more acidic than queso fresco, and 4 of 5 queso fresco products let Listeria grow more than a hundredfold in 28 days. The lab test measured growth, not risk of illness. Pregnancy is the only risk group this outbreak report names, but it is not the only group at risk. FDA says pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems should not eat unpasteurized milk products or any queso fresco-type cheeses, which carry a high risk for Listeria. Iodine in cotija ran from 18 to 114 ug per 3.5 oz (100 g) across the same seven USDA samples, and the dataset does not say why. Cheese protein reaches the blood slowly. In a crossover trial in 24 young adults funded by a cheese maker, amino acids from Cheddar with 20 g protein peaked at about 120 minutes, and over 5 hours the total matched milk with the same protein. A secondary analysis of two trials in 197 middle-aged adults found 4.2 oz (120 g) of cheese a day for 6 weeks lowered LDL cholesterol in women, while a mix of butter, casein and calcium raised it. The abstract gives no size for that and found no formal difference between men and women. We found no data on what melting or baking does to cotija. The EU has authorized no health claim for cheese and rejected one that milk and cheese promote dental health in children. On medicines, the FDA label for transdermal selegiline (EMSAM), an MAO inhibitor, at 9 mg/24 h or more lists aged cheeses among the tyramine foods to avoid. The label names a class, not cotija itself, so for anyone taking an MAO inhibitor, which cotija counts is a question for the prescriber. On salt, the NIH kidney institute restates the US Dietary Guidelines limit of no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day for adults. Many people with chronic kidney disease need to limit sodium even more, and fluid retained from too much sodium can cause high blood pressure.

Sources

1. ctja-daily-r8-01 · food composition dataset
   Cheese, cotija, solid (FDC 2647443): Sodium 1625.0 mg, range 1290.0-1970.0, n 7 | Calcium 699.6 mg, range 358.0-855.0, n 7 | Fatty acids, total saturated 15.89 g, range 12.18-19.89, n 7 | Total lipid 27.24 g, range 20.89-33.65, n 7 | Protein 23.84 g, range 20.86-26.67
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, Cheese, cotija, solid, FDC 2647443, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-10-02
2. ctja-daily-r8-02 · food composition dataset
   Cheese, cotija, solid (FDC 2647443): Iodine 64.75 ug, range 18.04-113.6, median 65.44, n 7 | Retinol 166.5 ug, range 125.7-225.4, n 7
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, Cheese, cotija, solid, FDC 2647443, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-10-02
3. ctja-daily-r8-03 · reference dataset
   Queso cotija, FNDDS 14134000, fdc_id 2705746: 1 cup 100 g | 1 tablespoon 6 g | Quantity not specified 21 g || Energy 351 kcal | Sodium 1625 mg | Calcium 700 mg per 100 g
   USDA FNDDS (FoodData Central survey), Queso cotija, food code 14134000, fdc_id 2705746 · checked 2026-10-02
4. ctja-daily-r8-07 · RCT
   we conducted a crossover study in which men and women (n = 24; ~27 years, ~23 kg/m2) consumed cheese (20 g protein) or an isonitrogenous amount of milk. ... We found that cheese ingestion had a slower yet more sustained branched-chain amino acid circulation appearance over the postprandial period peaking at ~120 min.
   Nutrients, 2021 · checked 2026-10-02
5. ctja-daily-r8-08 · RCT
   Despite differences in amino acid kinetics between the products, the area under the curve over 5 h for total BCAA, leucine, isoleucine, valine, total EAA, and total NEAA were not different between cheese and milk products (Figure 3A–F).
   Nutrients, 2021 · checked 2026-10-02
6. ctja-daily-r8-04 · meta-analysis
   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 2026-10-02
7. ctja-daily-r8-05 · meta-analysis
   Pooled analyses of 7 RCTs showed a reduction in fasting total cholesterol, LDL-C and HDL-C concentrations after ≥14 d mean daily intake of 135 g cheese (weighted mean difference [WMD]: -0.24 mmol/L; 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.34, -0.15; I2 = 59.8%, WMD: -0.19 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.27, -0.12; I2 = 42.8%, and WMD: -0.04 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.08, -0.00; I2 = 58.6%, respectively) relative to ∼52 g/d butter.
   Adv Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-10-02
8. ctja-daily-r8-09 · challenge study
   The QC products did not support growth of L. monocytogenes, likely due to the influence of reduced aw (0.92 ± 0.01) and pH (5.32 ± 0.25) values; however, populations remained stable during storage. The majority of commercial QF products (4/5; aw: 0.96 ± 0.00; pH: 6.32 ± 0.11) supported L. monocytogenes growth (>2 log cfu/g increase within 28 d)
   Journal of Dairy Science, 2025, 108(10):10677-10688 · checked 2026-10-02
9. sf-tymaoi-5 · agency advice
   Aged cheeses
   EMSAM (selegiline transdermal system), FDA-approved label, sections 2.3 and 7.2 (Table 5) · checked 2026-10-08
10. ctja-daily-r8-11 · EU register
    POL-HC-6306 Dairy products (milk and cheese) Dairy foods (milk and cheese) promote dental health in children. -/- Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6306, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-10-02
11. ctja-daily-r8-06 · RCT
    participants (n 197, 41.6 % male) received either 120g cheese (n 104) or deconstructed cheese (49g butter, 30g calcium caseinate and a calcium supplement, n 93) for 6 weeks. ... Within the female group cheese lowered total and LDL cholesterol concentrations, whereas deconstructed cheese was found to increase the same lipid markers.
    Atherosclerosis, 2025 · checked 2026-10-02
12. ctja-daily-r8-10 · agency outbreak report
    A total of 26 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria were reported from 11 states ... In this outbreak, two women got sick during their pregnancy and one woman had a pregnancy loss.
    CDC, Listeria Outbreak Linked to Queso Fresco and Cotija Cheese, investigation update April 2024 · checked 2026-10-02
13. sf-lsc-r3-cotija-1 · agency advice
    Pregnant women, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems should not eat certain foods, including unpasteurized milk and unpasteurized milk products, any queso fresco-type cheeses, raw and smoked fish, raw sprouts, and certain other raw foods, which carry a high risk for L. monocytogenes.
    Listeria (Listeriosis), US Food and Drug Administration, Preventing Foodborne Illness at Home · checked 2026-10-08
14. sf-na-r6-2 · agency advice
    The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends adults limit their sodium to no more than 2,300 milligrams per day. Many people with CKD need to limit their sodium even more. Your health care professional can determine your sodium limit, based on your kidney health. ... Too much sodium causes your blood to retain—or hold on to—fluids. When your body retains fluids, it can cause high blood pressure and swelling, putting stress on your kidneys and heart.
    NIDDK (NIH), Eating Right for Chronic Kidney Disease · checked 2026-10-08