Nutritional Values

In Fontina PDO, the components of milk are concentrated, except for the lactose which is almost absent as most of it remains in the whey and the remainder is fermented by lactic acid bacteria; the delicate technology of raw milk cheesemaking respects the nutritional characteristics of the constituents, including vitamins and enzymes. Caseins (proteins of milk of high biological value that coagulate with rennet) in the course of maturing are broken down into molecules that are more easily assimilated by the human organism.

Fontina PDO, a complete food

Dairy cows feed on fresh local fodder (grazing) or hay (in the barn); silage is forbidden. In Fontina PDO, the acids fats saturates present are predominantly short/medium chain, which are those with the lowest cholesterogenic effect. L’water present in Fontina PDO is around 40%, so the actual fat intake when eating 100 g is 28-29 g of which around one third is unsaturated fat; among polyunsaturated fats there is a good presence of omega-3 and omega-6.

Low cholesterol content

The cholesterol in Fontina PDO is closer to the minimum (80 mg/100g) than the maximum (120 mg/100g) in the group of cheeses; 100 g of Fontina PDO contain as much as an equal-weight portion of lean meat and about 6 times less than in an egg.

The valuable supply of minerals and vitamins

The calcium present in Fontina PDO is such that just over 100 g can cover the human daily requirement; the calcium/Phosphorus just over 1 is considered very favourable for proper maintenance of the calcium concentration in the human body (homeostasis).

The content in Sodium is not particularly high, not only when compared to other cheeses but also when compared to other frequently consumed foods such as bread.

With regard to vitamin content, the high content in vitamin A and vitamin B2 per 100 g of product, in both cases amounting to just under 1/3 of the recommended daily ration. Vitamin A is an important nutrient for vision, tissue growth and differentiation, cell division, reproduction and immunity. It is also known for its antioxidant properties.

From a microbiological point of view, the contribution of lactic microflora at the end of the ripening process is interesting: around 100 million live cells per gram of Fontina PDO.