Is Camembert Cheese Acidic or Alkaline?
Camembert cheese (raw) is strongly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Camembert is a soft cheese, and its water content keeps protein and phosphorus per 100 g somewhat in check. It still reaches +15.2, less than hard cheese but much more than Brie. It's acid-forming because the calcium can't keep up. Baking it and serving it with cranberries changes little, but a large salad on the side wins back part of it.
In the Cheese category, Camembert cheese (raw) ranks #18 of 37, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Roquefort cheese (+13.7), Limburger cheese (+13.0), Mozzarella (+12.7). More acid-forming are Halloumi cheese (+15.4), Colby cheese (+16.3), Monterey Jack cheese (+16.7).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
On this site, acidic and alkaline refer to the PRAL (potential renal acid load). It estimates what a food leaves behind once it has been digested: a positive value is acid-forming, a negative value is alkalizing. That is different from the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0, so it is alkalizing. Your diet does not change your blood pH. It does change how much acid your kidneys have to deal with.
What balances Camembert cheese
A slice (30 g) of Camembert cheese adds +4.6 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Camembert cheese acidic?
It depends on what you mean by acidic. The pH describes the food itself, for example how sour it tastes. The PRAL describes what it leaves behind after digestion: Camembert cheese (raw) has a PRAL of +15.2 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much spinach offsets a slice (30 g) of Camembert cheese?
A slice (30 g) of Camembert cheese adds +4.6 to your daily balance. Spinach (fresh) has −12.2 per 100 g, so about 40 g of spinach offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid Camembert cheese on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Camembert cheese is strongly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Camembert Cheese logged, balance checked.
Basentracker adds up every meal automatically and shows whether your day is in the alkaline range. The same values as on this page, all 977 foods, photo scan, recipes.
Free for Android · iPhone coming soon
Compare all Cheese: Cheese table. Common questions are answered in Acidic or Alkaline?, and the PRAL calculator adds up a whole meal.
Source: Basentracker food database (PRAL according to Remer & Manz, calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per 100 g). This information does not replace medical advice.