Feta Cheese: Salt, PDO Rules and Nutrition

By Nikola · Precision Nutrition L1 · Updated 4 November 2026

Feta is a white brined cheese from Greece, and in the EU the name is protected: real feta is made in defined regions of Greece from sheep’s milk, or sheep’s milk with up to 30% goat’s milk, and ripened for at least two months. It gives protein and plenty of calcium, but it is also salty: 100 g of feta contains about 2.85 g of salt, more than half of the 5 g a day the WHO sets as the upper limit. Used as a flavouring rather than the main ingredient, it fits well into a balanced diet.

Feta nutrition per 100 g and per portion

Nutritif	Per 100 g	Per 1 oz portion (28 g)
Énergie	265 kcal	75 kcal
Protéine	14.2 g	4.0 g
Fat	21.5 g	6.1 g
of which saturated	13.3 g	3.8 g
Carbohydrate	3.9 g	1.1 g
Sodium	1140 mg	323 mg
Salt (sodium × 2.5)	2.85 g	0.81 g
Calcium	493 mg	140 mg
Phosphore	337 mg	96 mg
Riboflavine (vitamin B2)	0.84 mg	0.24 mg
Vitamine B12	1.7 µg	0.48 µg
Cholestérol	89 mg	25 mg

Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: “Cheese, feta” (FDC 173420), checked 4 November 2026; 1 oz = 28.35 g and 1 cup crumbled = 150 g (same record). Salt is calculated from sodium with the factor 2.5 used on EU food labels; the WHO likewise equates 2,000 mg of sodium with 5 g of salt. This is a US record and the milk type is not stated, so Greek PDO feta may differ. Values rounded.

Feta is more than half water (55 g per 100 g). A cup of crumbled feta (150 g) holds about 1,710 mg of sodium, or 4.3 g of salt, close to the WHO limit for a whole day. A typical sprinkle on a salad, about 30-50 g, gives roughly 0.9-1.4 g of salt.

What makes feta “feta”: the PDO rules

Feta is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in the EU. According to its specification:

Milk: only sheep’s milk, or a mixture of sheep’s and goat’s milk with no more than 30% goat’s milk.
Region: Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly, Central Mainland Greece, the Peloponnese and the prefecture of Lesbos.
Salting and ripening: the cheese is dry-salted, then kept in brine with about 7% salt, and ripened for at least 2 months in total.

Cheese made outside these rules, for example from cow’s milk or outside Greece, cannot be sold as “feta” in the EU. That is why supermarkets also carry “white cheese”, “salad cheese” or “Greek-style” products.

Feta and Bulgarian white brined cheese

Bulgarian white brined cheese (sirene) looks similar and is also kept in brine, but it is a separate traditional cheese. It can be made from cow’s, sheep’s or goat’s milk and follows its own recipe and taste. Feta is always sheep’s milk or sheep and goat’s milk from Greece. Both are salty, so the same salt advice applies to both. If a recipe asks for feta and you have Bulgarian sheep’s milk cheese, it is a close substitute in salads and pastries.

Glycemic index

Feta has no meaningful glycemic index: it contains only about 3.9 g of carbohydrate per 100 g, and cheese is not listed in the international GI tables. Crumbled over vegetables or legumes, it adds protein and fat but very little carbohydrate.

Health benefits: what the evidence says

Calcium. With 493 mg per 100 g, feta is a rich source of calcium; a 28 g portion gives about 140 mg.
Protein. About 14 g per 100 g, or 4 g in a 28 g portion.
B vitamins. Feta provides riboflavin and vitamin B12.
Flavour with small amounts. Its strong, salty taste means a little goes a long way. Used instead of adding salt, a small amount of feta can season a whole salad or bowl of beans.
The salt caveat. The WHO links high sodium intake mainly to raised blood pressure, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Adults worldwide eat about 11 g of salt a day on average, more than twice the 5 g limit, so salty cheeses are worth counting.

Ayurveda: feta in the traditional system

In Usha and Vasant Lad’s food guidelines cheese is favourable for Vata (soft cheese favoured, hard cheese in moderation). For Pitta only soft, unaged and unsalted cheese is favoured, and for Kapha both soft and hard cheeses are on the list to avoid, with unsalted, unaged goat cheese in moderation as the exception. Feta is salted and ripened, so in this framework it suits Vata best and is a food to limit for Pitta and Kapha. This is a traditional view, not a clinical finding.

How to use feta

Greek salad: tomates, concombre, red onion, olives, Origan et huile d'olive, with a slice of feta on top. Skip extra salt.
Baked: a block of feta baked with cherry tomatoes, huile d'olive and herbs, then stirred into pasta or eaten with bread.
With greens: crumbled into wilted épinard, in épinard pie, or over roasted betteraves et courgette.
With legumes: a little feta on a warm lentil ou chickpea salad adds flavour and protein.
Storage: keep feta in its brine in the fridge, closed, so it does not dry out.

Who should be careful

High blood pressure and salt-sensitive conditions. 100 g of feta gives more than half of the WHO daily salt limit. Keep portions small and do not add salt to dishes with feta.
Pregnancy. The NHS lists pasteurised soft cheeses, including feta, as safe in pregnancy. Unpasteurised soft cheese may carry listeria, which can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or serious illness in a newborn, so check the label for “pasteurised”.
Saturated fat. Feta has 13.3 g of saturated fat per 100 g; portion size matters.
Milk allergy. Feta is made from milk and is not suitable for people with a milk allergy.

FAQ

How much salt is in feta cheese?

About 1,140 mg of sodium per 100 g, which equals about 2.85 g of salt (USDA). A 28 g portion has about 0.8 g of salt, and a cup of crumbled feta about 4.3 g, close to the WHO limit of 5 g a day.

Is feta made from sheep or cow’s milk?

Real PDO feta is made only from sheep’s milk, or sheep’s milk with up to 30% goat’s milk, in defined regions of Greece. White brined cheeses made from cow’s milk cannot be sold as feta in the EU.

Can you eat feta when pregnant?

Yes, if it is made from pasteurised milk. The NHS lists pasteurised feta among the soft cheeses that are safe in pregnancy; avoid unpasteurised versions because of the risk of listeria.

Sources

USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Cheese, feta (FDC 173420). fdc.nal.usda.gov
Specification of the Protected Designation of Origin “Feta” (EU geographical indications register). ec.europa.eu
World Health Organization: Salt reduction, fact sheet. who.int
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (salt = sodium × 2.5). EUR-Lex
NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy. nhs.uk
Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values: 2008. Diabetes Care 2008;31(12):2281-2283. PMC
Lad U, Lad V. Food Guidelines for Basic Constitutional Types, from Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing, 2nd ed. The Ayurvedic Institute. ayurveda.com

This page is for information only and is not medical or dietary advice.

Feta cheese