Is Subway American Cheese High in Histamine?

Subway American Cheese

Moderate histamine

Subway American cheese sits at moderate as a processed cheese.

Food here is usually assembled to order from components that were prepped earlier in the day, so it tends to be fresher than a drive-through and less fresh than cooking at home. Histamine builds up as protein foods sit, so how long the chicken or beef has been in the warmer matters as much as what is in the bowl. Treat the rating above as a starting point.

Dairy

This is a processed cheese made from milk, water, cream, sodium citrate, salt, cheese culture, and enzymes.

Processed cheese — it comes in at moderate rather than high because it isn't aged like a hard cheese, so much less histamine develops in it.
The rest of the ingredients — the milk, cream, and salt are the milder parts, leaving the processed cheese as the only thing setting the level.

Of the cheese choices this is one of the gentler ones, so it's a sensible pick if you want cheese on your sub.

This rating comes from Subway's own published ingredient statement, read on August 10, 2026. Restaurant recipes vary by location and change over time, so always check the current listing: source 1, source 2. How we rate foods →

Subway American Cheese and Subway are trademarks of their respective owners. This page is an independent histamine reference and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the brand.