Nutritional value
Benefits
Fontina PDO contains all the components of milk, except for lactose which is practically absent since most of it remains in the whey and the rest is fermented by lactic bacteria; the delicate technology of cheese making the raw milk respects the nutritional characteristics of the constituents, including vitamins and enzymes. The caseins (milk proteins of high biological value that coagulate with the rennet) are broken down during the maturing process into molecules that are more easily assimilated by the human body.
Fontina PDO, a complete food
Dairy cows feed on fresh local fodder (pasture) or hay (in the barn); silage is forbidden. In Fontina PDO, the saturated fatty acids present are mainly short/medium chain fatty acids, which are the ones with the lowest cholesterogenic effect. The water content in Fontina PDO is around 40%, so the effective fat intake when eating 100 g is 28-29 g of which about one third is unsaturated fats; among the polyunsaturated fats, there is a substantial amount of omega-3 and omega-6.
Low cholesterol content
Cholesterol in Fontina PDO is closer to the minimum (80 mg/100g) than to the maximum (120 mg/100g); 100 g of Fontina PDO contain as much cholesterol as a portion of equal weight of lean meat and about 6 times less than an egg.
The valuable input 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 ratio of just over 1 is considered very favourable for correctly maintaining the concentration of Calcium in the human body (homeostasis).
The Sodium content is not particularly high, not only compared to other cheeses but also when compared to other frequently consumed foods such as bread.
With regard to the vitamin content, the high content of vitamin A and vitamin B2 per 100 g of product is of interest, in both cases amounting to just under 1/3 of the recommended daily allowance. 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 maturing process is interesting: around 100 million live cells per gram of Fontina PDO.
Average nutritional values per 100 g of product
*R.D.A. = recommended daily allowance.
** Source for the vitamins part: ISS Salute (Istituto Superiore di Sanità): Link
