Say I was cast to a desert island for all eternity and could only choose three foods to take along with me, they would have to be crusty bread, salted caramel chocolate and….cheese.

Having been diagnosed by a dietitian as having a salicylate sensitivity I was eager to find out if cheese was still on the table.

Salicylate content of cheese

The RPAH elimination diet handbook states that fresh cheeses such as ricotta, cottage, quark, mascarpone and cream cheese are low in salicylates. Feta, halloumi, goats cheese, mozzarella, parmesan and bocconcini also appear to be low in the chemical.

A study by Swain et al. 1985 lists blue vein cheese, camembert, cheddar cheese, and tasty cheddar as also being negligible in salicylates.

The only cheeses which are considered very high in salicylates are those that are flavoured, so best to avoid those if possible.

If you are unfortunate enough to experience multiple chemical sensitivities (e.g amine sensitivity) it’s worth pointing out that many of these cheeses are high in amines and glutamates so may cause a reaction in those who are sensitive.

So with the above information in mind, crack out that cheese board and enjoy your dairy delights safe in the knowledge that cheese is unlikely to elicit a reaction in the salicylate sensitive. Phew!