Is Raclette Cheese Acidic or Alkaline?
Raclette cheese (raw) is strongly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Raclette cheese comes in at +17.4, because this semi-hard cheese packs lots of milk protein and phosphorus into little water. One raclette pan with 30 g gives about +5. Over a long evening with ten pans, that adds up to more than +50. Boiled potatoes, pearl onions and pickles on the side offset only a small part of it.
In the Cheese category, raclette cheese (raw) ranks #26 of 37, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Fontina cheese (+17.4), Cotija cheese (+17.3), Tilsit cheese (+17.3). More acid-forming are Gouda (young) (+17.5), Paneer cheese (+17.9), Edam cheese (+18.7).
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 raclette cheese
A slice (30 g) of raclette cheese adds +5.2 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is raclette 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: Raclette cheese (raw) has a PRAL of +17.4 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much kale offsets a slice (30 g) of raclette cheese?
A slice (30 g) of raclette cheese adds +5.2 to your daily balance. Kale (fresh) has −11.7 per 100 g, so about 40 g of kale offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid raclette cheese on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Raclette cheese is strongly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Raclette Cheese logged, balance checked.
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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.