Sliced & Processed Cheeses Purine Ranking: Lowest to Highest (13 Foods)

Lowest Purine

Highest Purine

#13sugars, american cheese, pasteurized process, kraft0.0 mg/100g

#12sugars, american cheese, pasteurized process, kraft deli deluxe0.0 mg/100g

#11sugars, american cheese, pasteurized process, land-o-lakes0.0 mg/100g

#10sugars, american cheese, pasteurized process, mixed store brand0.0 mg/100g

#9sugars, parmesan cheese, grated, store brand/other brand, great value0.0 mg/100g

#8sugars, parmesan cheese, grated, kraft 100%0.0 mg/100g

Category Average: 0.0 mg/100g/100g

The average across 13 foods with lab-measured data. Foods below this average are better-than-typical choices within this category.

How to Use This Ranking

The purine ranking is sorted from lowest to highest. Rank #1 is the lowest-purine food in the category. Foods in the top half (above median) should be consumed with more awareness of portion and frequency. The difference between adjacent ranks varies: in some categories, rank #5 and #10 might be only 10 mg apart; in others, the gap can be 100+ mg. Always check the actual milligram value, not just the position. Rankings do not account for fructose or alcohol — use individual food pages for a complete risk assessment.

ACR 2020 Guideline Context

The American College of Rheumatology recommends that gout patients focus on purine awareness rather than complete food group elimination. Within any category, there is a wide purine range. The goal is to shift toward lower-purine choices within categories you already eat, rather than eliminating entire food groups. This ranking helps you identify which specific items to prioritize and which to limit.

Japanese guidelines recommend under 400 mg of total dietary purines per day. Using this ranking, you can estimate how much of budget each food uses per typical serving.

How This Comparison Is Built

Each item here is scored by a three-factor risk engine covering purines, fructose, and alcohol. Purine values draw on the USDA+ODS-NIH PURINE DATABASE Release 2 (March 2025) and Kaneko et al. (Biol Pharm Bull 37(5):709-721, 2014, PMID: 24553148); fructose comes from USDA SR28 tables. Classification uses ACR 2020 thresholds — Safe under 50 mg purine and 2 g fructose with no alcohol, Moderate in between, Avoid above, or when alcohol is present. Each food page labels its data quality as T1 (lab-measured), T2 (measured plus consensus), or T3 (category estimate).

This comparison is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Individual tolerance to purines and fructose varies. Consult a healthcare professional for personalized dietary guidance. Last reviewed: 2026-09-03.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much purine is in sliced American or Swiss cheese?

Every sliced and processed cheese entry in our database measures 0.0 mg of purine per 100g, across 13 items including American, Swiss slices, sliced Cheddar and grated Parmesan. Cheese is made from milk, and dairy protein simply does not carry the purine concentration found in meat, seafood or organ meats.

Is processed cheese worse than natural cheese for gout?

For purines specifically, no — both measure at zero in our data. The difference lies elsewhere: processed cheese products tend to carry more sodium and sometimes added ingredients, which matter for overall cardiovascular health rather than uric acid directly. If you are watching blood pressure alongside gout, check the sodium line on the label.

Can cheese help lower uric acid?

Dairy intake has been associated with lower serum urate in several observational studies, and low-fat milk proteins may help the kidneys excrete more uric acid. Cheese is a reasonable way to add dairy protein to a gout-friendly plate, though the strongest evidence sits with low-fat milk and yogurt rather than full-fat cheese.

Sliced & Processed Cheeses: Purine Ranking (Lowest to Highest)