Ingredient file // Flavor
Monterey Jack Cheese
Cheese flavor with a substantial fat share
Monterey Jack is a mild cheese made from cow's milk. It adds cheese flavor along with fat, protein and calcium. Dogs accepted cheese-flavored bait in a small study, but no trial shows that Monterey Jack improves kibble.
- What it is
- A mild cow's milk cheese made by separating curds from whey, then salting and aging the curds.
- Made from
- Pasteurized cow's milk
- Main job
- Cheese flavor
- Typical amount
- Not published
- Watch for
- Milk allergy or a prescribed low-fat diet
- Not the same as
- Cheese flavor
Our read // In our catalog
In 1 of every 841 foods we track
Share of foods that list it
0%
3 of the 2,523 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 1 brand. All dry dog food.
Each square is 1% of the catalog
Where it sits on the label
Median position 4. In the top five of 3 foods, so it is usually a main ingredient.
Above the salt
Almost always listed before the salt, so there is more of it than a pinch.
Who leans on it
100%
of the foods that list it are from Wysong. 1 brand use it in total.
What it is
How it is made
Dairies make Monterey Jack as a cheese, not as a leftover. Cultures and rennet set milk into curds. Draining the whey removes much of the water and some lactose.4,5
- 01 // Source Pasteurized milk The cheese starts with pasteurized cow's milk under the US Monterey Jack standard.
- 02 // Process Set the curd Starter cultures acidify the milk, and rennet helps its casein proteins form a curd.
- 03 // Process Drain and wash The curd is cut, stirred and warmed; washing carries away whey and some lactose.
- 04 // Process Salt and age The drained curd is salted, pressed into blocks and aged to develop its flavor.
- 05 // Output Monterey Jack The finished cheese retains milkfat, milk protein and calcium alongside its mild flavor.
What is in it
Composition, dry matter
51.4
% fat
Fat in the typical cheese after excluding water. Its flavor comes with a substantial fat contribution.
Why it is in the bag
What the manufacturer gets
-
01
Adds cheese flavor
Monterey Jack has a mild dairy flavor. Dogs accepted cheese-flavored bait in a small trial, although that trial tested neither this cheese nor kibble.2,4
-
02
Brings dairy nutrients
The curd retains milkfat and casein protein, with calcium alongside them. How much reaches the dog depends on the cheese amount in the finished recipe.4
-
03
Uses an existing supply
USDA tracks Monterey and Jack within a US cheese-production category. That points to an existing dairy supply, but the report gives neither a separate Monterey Jack volume nor a pet-food price.6
How much No Monterey Jack inclusion rate is published in these sources; the dog preference study tested flavored bait rather than cheese added to kibble.2
Our read // The claims
What the evidence supports
Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.
-
Brands say
Monterey Jack adds protein and calcium
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A typical cheese contains 24.5% protein and 746 mg calcium per 100 g as sold. It supplies both nutrients, but the ingredient list does not reveal whether enough cheese was added to change the finished food meaningfully.4,8
-
Brands say
Cheese flavor makes dogs like kibble more
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
In a paired-bait study, 13 dogs encountered cheese-flavored bait. That shows dogs will accept the flavor in bait. The researchers did not test Monterey Jack or measure whether it improves kibble preference.2
-
Owners say
Dairy cheese can trigger food allergy
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A review counted dairy reactions in 51 of 297 dogs with food reactions supported by challenge. It did not isolate Monterey Jack, and the selected cases cannot tell an owner their dog's chance of reacting.3
-
Owners say
Cheese upsets every dog's stomach
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
In a 14-dog lactose trial, 2 developed diarrhea while 8 completed every dose without gut signs. That trial tested lactose powder, not Monterey Jack, whose whey removal and washing reduce its lactose.1,4
Straight answers
What owners ask
-
Q01
Is it just filler?
NoIt supplies flavor, fat, protein and calcium. Whether its nutrients matter to the whole food depends on how much cheese the maker uses, which the ingredient list does not disclose.4,8
-
Q02
Is this lactose free?
No claimMaking Monterey Jack drains away whey and washes some lactose from the curd. The composition source does not measure the remainder, so the ingredient name does not promise zero lactose.4
-
Q03
Does cheese mean more calcium?
Some, yesMonterey Jack contains calcium, but a small addition might barely affect the whole food. If calcium intake matters for your dog, check the finished food's nutrient information rather than its cheese listing.4,8
Who uses it
Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps
Top brands, by foods that list it
Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it
- Green Lipped Mussel 100%
- Cheddar Cheese 100%
- Swiss Cheese 100%
- Salmon 33%
- Chicken 33%
- Beef Heart 33%
- Beef Liver 33%
On the shelf
Foods that list it
3 foods in our reviews list it. Here are some of them.
Our read // On the bag
Read the cheese as flavor first
Ingredient lists run by weight. If Monterey Jack sits among minor ingredients, read it chiefly as a flavor addition, not proof of a calcium-rich or protein-rich food. Check the finished food's fat and nutrient information. For a dog with a diagnosed dairy allergy, choose a food without it.
Sources
What we read
Checked October 1, 2026.
- 1 Effects of dietary supplementation with increasing doses of lactose on faecal bacterial populations and metabolites and apparent total tract digestibility in adult dogs
- 2 Preference among 7 bait flavors delivered to domestic dogs in Arizona: Implications for oral rabies vaccination on the Navajo Nation
- 3 Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats
- 4 Monterey Jack and Colby
- 5 Monterey (Monterey Jack) Cheese Grades and Standards
- 6 Dairy Products 2025 Summary
- 7 Pancreatitis in Dogs and Cats
- 8 What’s in the Ingredients List?