Swiss cheese is naturally gluten-free — milk, cultures, salt, enzymes, no grain.
Yes. Swiss cheese is an aged cow’s-milk cheese made from milk, cheese cultures, salt, and enzymes — no wheat, barley, rye, or oats. The holes form from bacterial fermentation, not grain. Emmental, Baby Swiss, and Jarlsberg are all gluten-free. Sargento and major brands state their natural cheeses are gluten-free. Contains milk. The classic trap is “Swiss on rye” — the rye bread is the gluten, not the cheese.
Swiss cheese is naturally gluten-free. It’s an aged cheese with the same simple, grain-free ingredient set as other natural cheeses — and even the famous holes are just bacterial fermentation, not anything grain-related. The reason it comes up is the sandwich: Swiss on rye, or a Reuben, where the bread is the gluten.
What’s in Swiss Cheese
Per Sargento’s natural cheese information: Swiss cheese is pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, and enzymes (rennet). Sargento states its natural cheeses are gluten-free. Per FDA labeling rules, none of these is a gluten-containing grain.
Cross-Contamination Risk
Manufacturing
Low
- Natural cheese; Sargento states no gluten.
- Holes form from bacterial CO2, not grain.
- Dairy facility; no wheat in cheese-making.
Deli Counter
Medium
- Shared deli slicers also cut breaded/coated meats.
- Ask for a freshly cleaned slicer or buy pre-packaged.
Home
Low
- Sealed block/slices, refrigerate.
- Verify shredded anti-caking (usually GF).
Swiss Cheese Varieties — GF Status
- Swiss / Emmental (block, sliced) — gluten-free
- Baby Swiss — gluten-free
- Jarlsberg (Norwegian Swiss-style) — gluten-free
- Lacy Swiss / reduced-fat Swiss — gluten-free
- Pre-shredded/sliced Swiss — GF; potato starch/cellulose anti-caking
- Swiss on rye / Reuben sandwich — the rye bread is a gluten grain, NOT GF
- Swiss in a flour-roux fondue/sauce — verify; the roux may be wheat
What to Look For — Or Avoid
- Plain Swiss — milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes
- Emmental, Baby Swiss, Jarlsberg — all GF
- Sargento and major natural-cheese brands — stated gluten-free
- “Swiss on rye” / Reuben — rye bread is a gluten grain, NOT GF
- Deli slicer shared with breaded meats — ask for clean slicer
- Swiss fondue/cheese sauce with a wheat-flour roux — verify
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Swiss cheese gluten-free?
Yes. Swiss cheese is an aged cow’s-milk cheese made from milk, cheese cultures, salt, and enzymes — no wheat, barley, rye, or oats. Sargento and major brands state their natural cheeses are gluten-free. Emmental, Baby Swiss, and Jarlsberg are all gluten-free.
Are the holes in Swiss cheese gluten?
No. The holes (“eyes”) in Swiss cheese form from carbon dioxide gas released by Propionibacterium cultures during aging. It’s bacterial fermentation, not grain, yeast bread, or anything gluten-containing. Swiss cheese with holes is gluten-free.
Is a Reuben sandwich gluten-free?
No. A classic Reuben is corned beef and Swiss cheese on rye bread with sauerkraut and dressing. Rye is one of the FDA-defined gluten-containing grains, so the rye bread makes the Reuben NOT gluten-free. The Swiss cheese itself is gluten-free — it’s the bread.
Is Jarlsberg gluten-free?
Yes. Jarlsberg (a Norwegian Swiss-style cheese with holes) is made from milk, cultures, salt, and enzymes — no grain. Like Emmental and Baby Swiss, Jarlsberg is gluten-free. Verify only unusual smoked or flavored Jarlsberg variants for added ingredients.
Is deli-sliced Swiss gluten-free?
The Swiss cheese itself is gluten-free, but deli slicers are often shared with breaded or coated meats and can carry crumbs. Ask the deli to clean the slicer first, or buy pre-packaged Swiss to avoid the cross-contact risk.
Is Swiss cheese fondue gluten-free?
The Swiss cheese is gluten-free, but traditional fondue often uses a flour or cornstarch thickener and is served with bread for dipping. A fondue thickened with cornstarch (not wheat flour) and served with gluten-free dippers would be gluten-free; verify the recipe. The bread served alongside is the obvious gluten source.