Papa Murphy's Ricotta Cheese

Papa Murphy's ricotta cheese topping is high in histamine, and the reason is the vinegar used in the recipe. The dairy itself is a fresh, pasteurized blend that isn't what's driving the rating.

Why papa murphy's ricotta cheese is rated high

Ricotta is an unaged, fresh cheese, which is why it sits well below the hard and aged cheeses that give many people with histamine intolerance trouble. This blend is made from pasteurized milk, pasteurized whey, and pasteurized cream, thickened with modified food starch, guar gum, and carrageenan, and seasoned with salt and vinegar. None of the dairy is fermented or aged. The vinegar, though, is listed on its own without naming a type like wine, cider, or malt, so it gets the cautious high reading, and that single ingredient is what places this topping at high rather than low.

What changes your risk

• The vinegar: this is the only rated driver behind the rating. Without it, the fresh dairy base would read much lower.
• Fresh, unaged dairy: pasteurized milk, whey, and cream are not aged or fermented, so there isn't a buildup mechanism here the way there is with a sharp or hard cheese.
• Thickeners do not add histamine: modified food starch, guar gum, and carrageenan are texture helpers, not histamine sources.
• How much goes on the pizza: a light dollop is a smaller amount of vinegar than a heavy layer.
• Time on a held or baked pizza: this is a protein-rich dairy topping, so a pizza that sits warm for a long stretch after baking is less ideal than one eaten soon after it comes out of the oven.

Lower-histamine alternatives

If you want to stay on the lower side of the menu, the Papa Murphy's items that rate lower than this ricotta are Chicken, Onion Mix, and Zesty Herb Blend. None of them is a cheese, so they don't give the same creamy texture, but they are the lower-rated toppings available at this counter if you'd rather keep your pizza simple.

How to lower the risk

Papa Murphy's is a build-to-order counter, so you choose what goes on the pizza. The ricotta is a fixed blend of pasteurized milk, whey, cream, vinegar, salt, modified food starch, guar gum, and carrageenan, and the chain does not publish any way to change it. Keeping the amount modest keeps the vinegar share small. Pair it with lower-rated toppings such as Chicken, Onion Mix, or Zesty Herb Blend rather than stacking it with higher ones, and bake and eat the pizza soon after taking it home rather than holding it warm for a long time.

Common questions

Is ricotta high in histamine?

Papa Murphy's ricotta is high, but the reason is the vinegar in the blend rather than the dairy itself, which is a fresh, unaged cheese.

Why is there vinegar in the ricotta?

Vinegar appears on the published ingredient list, where it helps set and flavor the blend. It's listed without naming a type, which is why it gets the cautious high reading.

What lower-rated toppings can I pick at Papa Murphy's instead?

The chain's lower-rated items on this list are Chicken, Onion Mix, and Zesty Herb Blend.