Mozzarella contains very little lactose. A standard one-ounce serving of part-skim, low-moisture mozzarella has between 0.08 and 0.9 grams of lactose, making it one of the lower-lactose cheeses you can buy. Per 100 grams, mozzarella contains roughly 3.3 grams of lactose, which sounds like more but is still a small amount relative to what most lactose-intolerant people can handle.
Why Mozzarella Is Low in Lactose
Lactose is the natural sugar in milk, and fresh milk contains a lot of it. But cheesemaking strips most of it out through two key steps. First, when curds form and separate from the liquid whey, much of the lactose drains away with that whey. Second, the starter bacteria used during production feed on the remaining lactose, converting it into lactic acid. Cheesemakers can further reduce lactose by washing the curds or diluting the whey during production. By the time mozzarella reaches your plate, only a fraction of the original milk sugar remains.
Can You Eat Mozzarella if You’re Lactose Intolerant?
Most people with lactose intolerance can tolerate up to about 12 grams of lactose in one sitting. A typical serving of mozzarella on a pizza or in a salad contains well under 1 gram, so it falls far below that threshold. For the vast majority of people with lactose intolerance, regular mozzarella is perfectly fine, and buying a lactose-free version is unnecessary.
If you follow a low-FODMAP diet for irritable bowel syndrome, Monash University has confirmed that a 40-gram portion of mozzarella (roughly one-third of a standard fresh mozzarella ball) qualifies as low FODMAP. Larger portions increase your lactose intake but still remain modest compared to a glass of milk, which contains around 12 to 13 grams.
Buffalo Mozzarella vs. Regular Mozzarella
Buffalo mozzarella, the soft, fresh variety traditionally made from water buffalo milk, actually contains less lactose than the commercial cow’s milk version. Lab analyses show roughly 354 milligrams of lactose per 100 grams of buffalo mozzarella compared to about 743 milligrams per 100 grams of commercial cow’s milk mozzarella. Both numbers are low, but if minimizing lactose is your goal, buffalo mozzarella is the better choice. The difference comes down to variations in milk composition and production methods between the two styles.
How Mozzarella Compares to Other Cheeses
Mozzarella sits in the middle of the cheese lactose spectrum. Aged, hard cheeses tend to have less lactose because they undergo longer fermentation and aging, which gives bacteria more time to consume the remaining sugar:
- Very low lactose (under 0.1g per ounce): Aged cheddar, Parmesan, Swiss
- Low lactose (under 1g per ounce): Mozzarella, provolone, Gouda
- Higher lactose (1g or more per ounce): Ricotta, cottage cheese, cream cheese
Fresh, soft, high-moisture cheeses like ricotta retain more whey and therefore more lactose. Mozzarella falls closer to the aged cheeses in lactose content despite being a fresh or semi-fresh cheese, largely because its stretching and kneading process (called pasta filata) expels additional whey.
Tips for Keeping Lactose Low
If you’re sensitive to even small amounts of lactose, a few practical choices can help. Low-moisture mozzarella (the kind sold in blocks or pre-shredded bags) contains less lactose than fresh mozzarella packed in liquid, because more whey has been removed. Choosing part-skim over whole-milk versions makes little difference for lactose content specifically, but reading labels can help you spot added milk solids, which would increase lactose slightly.
Spreading your cheese intake across a meal rather than eating it alone also helps. Fat, protein, and other foods slow digestion, giving your body more time to process whatever small amount of lactose is present. A slice of pizza with mozzarella is easier on your gut than eating the same amount of cheese by itself on an empty stomach.