Queso fresco
What it is
Queso fresco is a fresh cheese food. Reference food: Cheese, fresh, queso fresco.
What it does
For this named food form, USDA lists 299 kcal, 18.1 g protein, 23.8 g total fat, 2.98 g carbohydrate per 100 g edible portion. The table describes composition rather than a recommended serving or a clinical effect.
Research context and ingredient forms
These are historical SR Legacy data from April 2018, published in FoodData Central in 2019. Variety, water content, preparation, and recipe can change the result. Scale a matching food by edible portion grams divided by 100; do not transfer the values to a different form.
Using this information
Use the specific package's storage and safety instructions. The nutrient table does not establish whether a cheese was made from pasteurized milk.
Considerations
Fresh queso-type cheeses need refrigeration and can support Listeria growth, including after pasteurization if later contamination occurs. FDA advises people at higher risk—during pregnancy, age 65 or older, or with weakened immunity—to avoid queso fresco-type cheeses made from either pasteurized or raw milk.
Food sources and composition
| Nutrient | Amount and serving basis | Food and source |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 299 kcal per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, fresh, queso fresco; Cheese, fresh, queso fresco SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Protein | 18.1 g per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, fresh, queso fresco; Cheese, fresh, queso fresco SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Total lipid (fat) | 23.8 g per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, fresh, queso fresco; Cheese, fresh, queso fresco SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 12.9 g per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, fresh, queso fresco; Cheese, fresh, queso fresco SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 2.98 g per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, fresh, queso fresco; Cheese, fresh, queso fresco SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Calcium, Ca | 566 mg per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, fresh, queso fresco; Cheese, fresh, queso fresco SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Sodium, Na | 751 mg per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, fresh, queso fresco; Cheese, fresh, queso fresco SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Vitamin B-12 | 1.68 µg per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, fresh, queso fresco; Cheese, fresh, queso fresco SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 2.7 µg per 100 g edible portion | Cheese, fresh, queso fresco; Cheese, fresh, queso fresco SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
Scientific Research & References
- Cheese, fresh, queso fresco
2019 · USDA Agricultural Research Service
Limitations: Historical food-form-specific composition, not a current brand label. Values may be analytical, calculated or imputed; missing nutrients are omitted, not assumed zero.
Source assessment recorded.
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Legacy Release: Documentation
2018 · USDA Agricultural Research Service
Limitations: Historical dataset; values may be analytical, calculated, imputed, or assumed zero. Not clinical-outcome evidence.
Source assessment recorded.
- Queso Fresco-type Cheeses Consumer Guidance
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Limitations: Supports the bounded definition or statement mapped to it. This source alone does not establish a food- or product-specific clinical benefit.
Source assessment recorded.
Related dictionary entries
Products containing it
No label-specific product relationship has been reviewed for this entry.