Is the 13 mg figure per 100 g?

Yes — every value on this site is per 100 g for foods (per 100 mL for drinks). Per-serving numbers scale with how much you actually use.

Why do different cheeses show different values?

The database lists separate entries by product form and type — grated, processed, American — and the values in this group range from 2 to 13 mg/100 g.

What makes up the 13 mg?

Adenine 8.2 mg, guanine 4.2 mg and xanthine 0.6 mg. Hypoxanthine was measured at zero in this entry.

Where does the number come from?

The USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods, Release 2.0 (2025); the entry cites Kaneko et al. (2014), linked in the source section.

Cheese, grated

Low purine

Dairy and Eggs

Purine content

13 mgper 100 g

The level label is a plain categorization of the number above — not a statement about whether this food fits your diet. See the full disclaimer.

Composition — per 100 g

Purine, total	13 mg
— Adenine	8.2 mg
— Guanine	4.2 mg
— Hypoxanthine	0 mg
— Xanthine	0.6 mg
Fructose	0 g
Calories	421 kcal

Missing figures are shown as “No data available”; values are copied from the sources below and are never estimated. Laboratory values differ between studies and samples.

Where these numbers come from

Purine total and fractions: Kaneko, K., et al. (2014). Total purine and purine base content of common foodstuffs for facilitating nutritional therapy for gout and hyperuricemia. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 37(5), 709-21..
Fructose and calories: USDA FoodData Central record #325036.

If you want something similar

At 13 mg/100 g, grated cheese sits at the low end of the dairy and eggs group (liquid yogurt 1.4 mg, processed cheese 2 mg, American cheese 7 mg). The calorie side is the trade-off: 421 kcal per 100 g, because grating concentrates the solids.

From the author

Personal experience of someone living with gout

Grated cheese stays a topping for me rather than a base. At 421 kcal per 100 g the calorie side is what I watch, and I keep it away from anything with added sugar.

Personal experience — not medical advice. Read the full disclaimer.

Questions

Is the 13 mg figure per 100 g?: Yes — every value on this site is per 100 g for foods (per 100 mL for drinks). Per-serving numbers scale with how much you actually use.
Why do different cheeses show different values?: The database lists separate entries by product form and type — grated, processed, American — and the values in this group range from 2 to 13 mg/100 g.
What makes up the 13 mg?: Adenine 8.2 mg, guanine 4.2 mg and xanthine 0.6 mg. Hypoxanthine was measured at zero in this entry.
Where does the number come from?: The USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods, Release 2.0 (2025); the entry cites Kaneko et al. (2014), linked in the source section.

Looking for a different food? Search the full database — every entry there links back to its source, whether or not it has a page like this one. Or browse low purine foods.