What foods is CLA found in?

November 21, 2025 •

2 min read

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) was first isolated from cooked beef in the 1980s by researchers at the University of Wisconsin. It is a naturally occurring fatty acid found primarily in meat and dairy products from ruminant animals. Its potential health benefits make understanding what foods is CLA found in an increasingly popular topic among health-conscious consumers.

Quick Summary

This article explores the major dietary sources of CLA, concentrating on ruminant meat and dairy. It discusses how an animal's diet, particularly fresh pasture, influences CLA content, and examines the varying levels in different products like cheese, milk, and grass-fed beef. It also touches upon factors like processing and microbial synthesis that impact the final CLA concentration.

Key Points

Ruminant Products are Key: The most significant sources of CLA are dairy and meat from grass-fed ruminants like cows, goats, and sheep.
Grass-Fed is Superior: Meat and dairy from grass-fed animals contain up to 3-5 times more CLA than those from grain-fed animals.
Dairy Varies: The CLA content in dairy products such as milk, butter, cheese, and yogurt can be influenced by the animal's diet and processing methods, including fermentation.
Lamb is Rich: Lamb meat is particularly high in CLA, often containing more than beef.
Cooking Affects Levels: Cooking methods like grilling can increase the concentration of CLA in meat due to moisture loss.
Supplements are Different: CLA supplements are typically synthesized from vegetable oils and contain different isomer ratios than the CLA found naturally in food.

Main Dietary Sources of CLA

The primary sources of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in the human diet are fats derived from ruminant animals, such as cows, goats, and sheep. These animals produce CLA in their rumen through bacterial synthesis during the digestion of plant matter. Consequently, products from ruminants contain significantly more CLA than those from non-ruminant animals.

Dairy Products

Dairy products are a major dietary source of CLA. The amount of CLA in dairy can fluctuate based on the animal's diet, with grass-fed animals producing milk with considerably higher CLA levels. Factors like fermentation and certain bacteria can affect CLA content in products like yogurt and cheese. Milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt all contribute to CLA intake.

Meat from Ruminants

Meat from ruminant animals is another significant source of dietary CLA. An animal's diet, particularly grass-feeding, increases CLA concentration in meat, with grass-fed beef containing more than grain-fed. Lamb is also a notable source. Beef, lamb, and veal contribute to dietary CLA.

Other, Less Common Sources

Foods like eggs (if hens' diets are supplemented), certain mushrooms, pork, and poultry contain smaller amounts of CLA compared to ruminant products.

Factors Affecting CLA Content in Foods

An animal's diet, especially grazing on fresh pasture, significantly impacts CLA levels. Other factors include farming practices and food processing methods like cooking and fermentation, which can alter CLA concentrations. Dietary oil supplements can also increase CLA levels in animals.

Food Sources of CLA: A Comparison


Food Source	Common Type	Typical CLA Content (mg/g fat)	Key Factor for High Content
Dairy	Butter	4.7–8.1	Animal's diet (grass-fed vs. grain-fed)
Dairy	Cheese (e.g., Cheddar)	3.6–5.9	Milk source, aging process
Dairy	Milk (whole)	4.5–5.5	Animal's diet, organic vs. conventional
Meat	Lamb	5.6–19.0	Ruminant source, grass-fed diet
Meat	Beef (ground)	4.3–10.0	Grass-fed diet, cooking method
Meat	Pork	~0.6	Non-ruminant, lower inherent levels

Conclusion: Incorporating CLA-Rich Foods into Your Diet

Increasing dietary CLA from natural sources involves focusing on dairy and meat from grass-fed ruminant animals due to their higher CLA content. Food sources provide CLA along with other beneficial compounds, offering a way to obtain CLA in moderation within a balanced diet. {Link: ScienceDirect https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240584402414875X} for more information. For general nutrition guidance, refer to resources like the {Link: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics https://www.eatright.org/}.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary food sources of CLA are dairy products and meat from ruminant animals, such as cows, goats, and sheep.

Yes, grass-fed beef has significantly higher levels of CLA compared to grain-fed beef because the animals' diet of fresh forage increases CLA production.

Products like butter, cheese, and yogurt from grass-fed milk tend to have higher concentrations of CLA, with some cheeses and fermented milks showing enhanced levels due to microbial activity.

Vegetarian sources of natural CLA are rare, but some mushrooms contain small amounts. Some plant oils like safflower and sunflower oil contain linoleic acid, which is used to produce synthetic CLA supplements, but not in high natural food concentrations.

No, cooking does not destroy CLA. In some cases, cooking methods like grilling can increase the concentration of CLA in meat by reducing moisture content.

CLA is synthesized naturally in the digestive system (rumen) of grazing ruminant animals by bacteria. It is then stored in the animal's fat tissue and milk.

No, the CLA from food and supplements are different. Natural CLA is predominantly one isomer (c9,t11), while supplements are typically a mix of isomers derived from vegetable oils.