Goat cheese: ordinary cheese, with a raw-milk caveat

The only trial on goat cheese tested a specially enriched one. In a 12-week double-blind randomized trial in Madrid, 68 adults with overweight or obesity and blood fat risk factors ate 2.1 oz (60 g) a day of goat cheese naturally enriched in omega-3 and CLA, or 2.1 oz (60 g) of ordinary goat cheese, on a reduced-calorie diet. Against the ordinary cheese, the enriched one raised HDL cholesterol and lowered C-reactive protein, and within the enriched arm CRP fell 36 percent among the 28 people who finished it. Apolipoprotein B went up too. Because the comparison was ordinary goat cheese, the trial measures the enrichment and says nothing about goat cheese against no cheese. As food, soft white-rind goat cheese in UK data carries 320 calories, 21.1 g protein, 25.8 g fat and 601 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), with under 1 g of lactose. The firmer warnings on this page concern cheese made from unpasteurised milk, which the FDA lists as higher risk for Listeria in pregnancy, in older adults and in people with weakened immunity.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

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

What a real portion looks like

• In US survey data a default serving of goat cheese is 21 g and a 1-inch cube is 25 g, carrying about 104 mg sodium and 75 mg calcium. — FNDDS survey food Cheese, goat (code 14104700, FDC 2705716) Evidence E source
  Sodium 415 mg and calcium 298 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g); 25 g cube 103.8 mg sodium, 74.5 mg calcium; 1 cup crumbled 140 g

What your body absorbs

• UK composition data give soft white-rind goat cheese 320 calories, 21.1 g protein, 25.8 g fat, 601 mg sodium and under 1 g lactose per 3.5 oz (100 g). — CoFID 2021 record 12-357, Cheese, goats milk, full fat, soft, white rind (n = 1 record) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: energy 320 calories, protein 21.1 g, fat 25.8 g, saturated fat 17.91 g, sodium 601 mg, calcium 133 mg, lactose 0.9 g

What cooking and storage change

• The American Academy of Pediatrics states that raw milk and milk products from cows, goats and sheep remain a source of Listeria, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Brucella and E. coli O157 infections. — pregnant women, infants and children in the United States Evidence E source
  Raw goat milk products named as a source of five pathogen groups; pasteurized milk said to give equivalent benefits without the infection risk
• In a Norwegian survey of small-scale raw milk cheesemaking, no goat cheese carried Listeria monocytogenes and one cow cheese (1.4 percent) did. — small-scale raw milk cheese production in Norway, bovine and caprine milk, curd and cheese Evidence C source
  L. monocytogenes in 0 caprine cheeses and 1 bovine cheese (1.4%)
• Observational data link unpasteurised raw goat cheese from one farmhouse with a brucellosis outbreak in Andalucia, with odds of illness 21.6 times higher in those who ate it. — 11 brucellosis cases and controls, Cordoba, Spain, 2002 (n = 11 cases) Evidence C source
  OR 21.6 (95% CI 1.6-639.8)
• A risk model of a Belgian contamination episode estimated that Listeria grew by a median 2.2 log while raw goat milk was chilled and stored before cheesemaking. — raw goat milk cheese production chain, Belgium, 2005 episode Evidence D source
  Median +2.2 log CFU/ml during milk chilling and storage; +1.2 log with starter and rennet; fresh cheese 3.8 log CFU/g (observed 3.6)
• The FDA lists any cheese made from unpasteurised raw milk as a higher-risk food for Listeria in pregnancy, older age and weakened immunity, while pasteurized cheeses other than queso fresco types are lower risk. — pregnant women, newborns, older adults, people with weakened immune systems Evidence E source
  Agency advice; no effect size

What it does to your health

• In a 12-week double-blind RCT in 68 adults with overweight or obesity, 60 g/day of goat cheese naturally enriched in omega-3 and CLA raised HDL cholesterol and lowered hs-CRP versus ordinary goat cheese. — 68 adults with BMI 27 to under 40 and at least two lipid risk factors, Madrid (n = 68) Evidence B source
  HDL-C up, apolipoprotein B up, hs-CRP down vs control goat cheese (p<0.05); sizes not in abstract
• In the same 12-week trial, CRP fell by 36% in the group eating 60 g/day of omega-3 and CLA enriched goat cheese. — 59 completers (31 control, 28 enriched cheese), adults with overweight or obesity, Madrid (n = 59) Evidence B source
  CRP -36% in enriched cheese group, accounting for within-group variation

Safety, limits and interactions

• According to ACOG, a pregnant woman without symptoms who ate a recalled or outbreak-linked product needs no testing, including blood and stool cultures, and no treatment. — pregnant women with presumptive exposure to Listeria monocytogenes Evidence E source
  Asymptomatic: no blood or stool cultures, no treatment
• A French family cluster of E. coli O157 infection, with hemolytic uremic syndrome in two of three cases, was traced to fresh unpasteurised goats' cheese from an independent producer. — family cluster of three cases, France (n = 3) Evidence D source
  2 of 3 cases developed hemolytic-uremic syndrome; matching strains in a goat and a cow
• Human brucellosis cases on Namibian farms shared a history of unpasteurised goat milk and home-made goat cheese, suggesting goats as the likely source. — farm families, goats, sheep, cattle, springbok and 137 abattoir workers, Namibia (n = 137) Evidence C source
  Seropositive goats on 2 of 4 farms (26/42 and 12/285); source suggested, not proven

What people believe that the data does not support

• CDC lists pasteurized soft cheeses as a safer choice in pregnancy when heated to 165 F or until steaming hot. — pregnant women, CDC food safety guidance Evidence E source
  Heating pasteurized soft cheese to 165 F listed as safer
• The EU refused a claim that omega-3 rich animal products, including goat milk cheese, help control metabolic syndrome, and no health claim is authorized for goat cheese itself. — EU labeling rule Evidence E source
  Non-authorized claim

Who this works differently for

• A 2018 systematic review of 11 case-control and cross-sectional studies found that pregnant women with listeriosis, or whose babies had it, were more likely to have eaten high-risk dairy products, meat products or some fruits. — pregnant women or their newborns with known listeriosis status and a nutritional exposure in international recommendations, searched to July 2017 (n = 11 articles) Evidence C source
  Higher consumption of high-risk dairy, meat products and some fruits among cases; narrative synthesis, no pooled estimate
• According to ACOG, listeriosis associated with pregnancy is about 13 times more common than in the general population. — pregnant women Evidence E source
  Pregnancy-associated incidence about 13 times higher than general population
• An umbrella review of 9 systematic reviews on listeriosis in pregnancy found prevention rested on dietary advice such as reheating leftovers until steaming and avoiding unpasteurised dairy. — 9 systematic reviews covering 330 studies and 487 patients (n = 9 reviews) Evidence C source
  Prevention by dietary recommendations
• A French family cluster of E. coli O157 infection traced to fresh unpasteurised goat cheese included two cases of hemolytic-uremic syndrome. — one family cluster of 3 cases, France (n = 3) Evidence D source
  2 of 3 cases developed hemolytic-uremic syndrome
• A case report describes allergy to goat and sheep cheese driven by goat casein in a patient who tolerated cow milk products. — one patient (n = 1) Evidence D source
  IgE to goat and sheep casein strongly positive, negative to cow casein
• A 2-year-old boy reacted to sheep and goat cheese while tolerating cow milk products. — one 2-year-old boy (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Prick-by-prick positive to goat and sheep cheese, negative to cow cheese
• Goat cheese was a staple of the traditional diet of free-living older adults in northern Greece, whose diets were still short in several vitamins and minerals. — 100 free-living elderly adults, Grevena, Greece (n = 100) Evidence C source
  Descriptive; high goat cheese intake reported, no amount given

The bottom line

US survey data use 21 g as a default serving, and a 1-inch cube of 25 g carries about 104 mg of sodium and 75 mg of calcium. Types differ, so the USDA lists hard, semisoft and soft goat cheese separately. We found no study of how well the body digests or absorbs goat cheese itself. The EU refused a claim that omega-3 rich animal products, goat milk cheese among them, help control metabolic syndrome, and no health claim is authorized for goat cheese. The FDA lists any cheese made from raw milk as higher risk for Listeria in pregnancy, in newborns, in older adults and in people with weakened immunity. It counts pasteurized cheeses other than queso fresco types as lower risk. Outbreak reports show why. In Andalucia, people who ate raw goat cheese from one farmhouse had 21.6 times the odds of brucellosis (95% CI 1.6 to 639.8), in an outbreak of 11 cases where that very wide interval is the honest measure of certainty. In Namibia, farm brucellosis cases shared unpasteurised goat milk and home-made goat cheese, which pointed to goats without proving it. A French family cluster of E. coli O157 traced to fresh raw goat cheese left 2 of 3 cases with hemolytic-uremic syndrome. A risk model of one Belgian farm estimated Listeria grew by a median 2.2 log while raw goat milk sat chilled before cheesemaking. Goat milk protein can be an allergen in its own right. Two single case reports, one a 2-year-old boy, describe people who reacted to goat and sheep cheese while tolerating cow milk, with goat casein identified as the allergen in one of them. We have no study here on whether people allergic to cow milk tolerate goat cheese, so this page cannot call it a safe swap.

Sources

1. gtch-daily-r5-12 · USDA FNDDS, dataset
   Cheese, goat (fdc_id 2705716): Sodium 415 mg per 100 g; 1 cubic inch 25 g = 103.8 mg; Quantity not specified 21 g = 87.2 mg; Calcium 298 mg per 100 g; 1 cubic inch 25 g = 74.5 mg; 1 cup, crumbled 140 g
   USDA FNDDS, FoodData Central survey food 2705716 · checked 2026-09-29
2. gtch-daily-r5-11 · CoFID 2021 dataset
   Cheese, goats milk, full fat, soft, white rind (CoFID 2021, code 12-357): Energy 320 kcal; Protein 21.1 g; Fat 25.8 g; Satd FA 17.91 g; Sodium 601 mg; Calcium 133 mg; Lactose 0.9 g per 100 g
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England / OGL v3.0, code 12-357 · checked 2026-09-29
3. ev-gcpg-04 · guideline
   Raw milk and milk products from cows, goats, and sheep continue to be a source of bacterial infections attributable to a number of virulent pathogens, including Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella species, Brucella species, and Escherichia coli O157.
   Pediatrics, 2014 · checked 2026-10-06
4. ev-gcpg-06 · prevalence study
   There was no contamination of L. monocytogenes in caprine cheeses and only one (1.4%) contaminated bovine cheese.
   Food Microbiol, 2011 · checked 2026-10-06
5. gtch-daily-r5-03 · case-control study
   Persons having eaten unpasteurized raw goat cheese produced in a farmhouse located in the epidemic territory, were at higher risk for presenting brucellosis (OR=21.6, IC95%=1.6-639.8).
   Euro Surveill, 2003 · checked 2026-09-29
6. gtch-daily-r5-05 · risk assessment model
   The model showed significant growth of L. monocytogenes during chilling and storage of the milk collected the day before the cheese production (median increase of 2.2 log CFU/ml) and during the addition of starter and rennet to milk (median increase of 1.2 log CFU/ml).
   J Food Prot, 2012 · checked 2026-09-29
7. gtch-daily-r5-10 · agency guidance
   Any type of cheese made with unpasteurized (raw) milk ... Cheeses made with pasteurized milk, other than queso fresco-type cheeses
   US FDA, What You Need to Know about Preventing Listeria Infections, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
8. gtch-daily-r5-01 · randomized controlled trial
   Sixty-eight overweight and obese subjects (BMI ≥ 27 and <40 kg/m2), with at least two risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a lipid panel blood tests, participated in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel designed study. The subjects consumed for 12 weeks: (1) 60 g/d control goat cheese and (2) 60 g/d goat cheese naturally enriched in n-3 PUFA and CLA. ... The consumption of a PUFA-enriched goat cheese significantly increased plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, as well as in apolipoprotein B, and it significantly decreased high-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentrations compared to the control goat cheese (p < 0.05).
   Nutrients, 2020 · checked 2026-09-29
9. gtch-daily-r5-02 · randomized controlled trial
   After intervention, there was a significant decrease in CRP in the EG by 36%, taking into account the intragroup variation.
   Nutrients, 2020 · checked 2026-09-29
10. ev-gcpg-03 · guideline
    No testing, including blood and stool cultures, or treatment is indicated for an asymptomatic pregnant woman who reports consumption of a product that was recalled or implicated during an outbreak of listeria contamination.
    Obstet Gynecol, 2014 · checked 2026-10-06
11. ev-gcpg-07 · case report
    The source was fresh unpasteurized goats' cheese, produced by an independent producer.
    Epidemiol Infect, 2006 · checked 2026-10-06
12. gtch-daily-r5-08 · seroepidemiological study
    Interviews revealed that besides the case that prompted the investigation, a family and another person from other farms with confirmed brucellosis shared a common history of consumption of unpasteurised goat milk, home-made goat cheese and coffee with raw milk and prior contact with goats, suggesting goats as the likely source of infection.
    J S Afr Vet Assoc, 2011 · checked 2026-09-29
13. ev-gcpg-08 · agency guidance
    Pasteurized soft cheeses heated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot
    CDC, Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women · checked 2026-10-06
14. gtch-daily-r5-13 · regulatory decision
    POL-HC-7872 Raw or processed food products of animal origin, plus bread and panification products (cow’s, goat’s and ewe’s milk and related products ( milk, cream, butter, cheese, yoghurt, fresh dairy products); hen’s and quail’s eggs; beef’s, veal’s and lamb’s me * The Tradilin network makes it possible to obtain products which fit into a diet naturally rich in omega 3 which participates to improve/decrease carbohydrate metabolic disorders La filière Tradilin permet d’obtenir des produits qui s’intègrent dans une alimentation riche en Oméga 3 qui participe diminuer les désordres du métabolisme des carbohydrates * The Tradilin network makes it possible to obtain products which fit into a diet naturally rich in omega 3 which participates in the control of parameters of the metabolic syndrome La filière Tradilin permet d’obtenir des produits qui s’intègrent dans une alimentation riche en Oméga 3 qui participe au contrôle des paramètres du syndrome métabolique * This product participates/contributes/helps to regulate carbohydrate metabolism Ce produit participe à la régulation du métabolisme glucidique * This product, from the Tradilin network, helps to better to regulate carbohydrate metabolism/ control the parameters on the metabolic syndrome Ce produit, issu de la filière Tradilin, s’intègre dans une alimentation riche en Oméga 3 qui participe à diminuer les désordres du métabolisme des carbohydrates/à contrôler les paramètres du syndrome métabolique Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7872, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
15. ev-gcpg-01 · systematic review of observational studies
    Cases of maternal, fetal or neonate listeriosis were more likely to have consumed high-risk dairy products, meat products or some fruits during pregnancy in comparison with women without listeriosis.
    J Nutr Sci, 2018, Nutrition and listeriosis during pregnancy: a systematic review · checked 2026-10-06
16. ev-gcpg-02 · guideline
    The incidence of listeriosis associated with pregnancy is approximately 13 times higher than in the general population.
    Obstet Gynecol, 2014 · checked 2026-10-06
17. ev-gcpg-05 · 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.
    BJOG, 2022 · checked 2026-10-06
18. gtch-daily-r5-04 · outbreak case report
    A family cluster of three cases of Escherichia coli O157 infection was identified in France. Two cases developed haemolytic-uraemic syndrome. The source was fresh unpasteurized goats' cheese, produced by an independent producer.
    Epidemiol Infect, 2006 · checked 2026-09-29
19. gtch-daily-r5-06 · case report
    This patient developed allergy to goat and sheep cheese with good tolerance to cow's milk. We identified goat casein as the main allergen causing sensitization in this patient as demonstrated by in vivo and in vitro tests.
    Clin Exp Allergy, 1999 · checked 2026-09-29
20. gtch-daily-r5-07 · case report
    We describe a 2-year-old boy who experienced allergic reactions after eating and touching sheep's cheese, but who tolerated cow's milk and cow's milk dairy products. ... Prick-by-prick tests were positive to goat's and sheep's cheese and were negative to cow's cheese.
    Allergol Immunopathol (Madr), 2004 · checked 2026-09-29
21. gtch-daily-r5-09 · cross-sectional survey
    The diet had many characteristics of the traditional Mediterranean diet and comprised of a high intake of goat-milk yoghurt, olive oil, goat cheese, traditional alcohol drinks, pies, legumes, fruits and meat.
    J Nutr Elder, 2006 · checked 2026-09-29