Mussels, cooked
Checked by us One serving: 100 g · 172 kcal
Protein, plus vitamin B12 and omega-3: EPA + DHA. Rich in 6 more nutrients: see Good for.
Limit it to once a week or less: cadmium. Worth knowing: norovirus and vibrio.
Worth knowing for some people: raw seafood in pregnancy.
Good for
How we counted this
What one serving (100 g) gives you.
Your body needs enough of each of these. Past enough, more doesn’t help. Amounts are what the food databases list, not what your body absorbs, unless a row says it was measured.
The words: “A lot” means one serving gives 20% or more of Health Canada’s daily amount, “Some” 10% to 19%, “A little” 2% to 9%, “Almost none” under 2%. Strongest word first; within a word, protein and fibre lead, then the biggest share. ?
A milligram (mg) is a thousandth of a gram, and a microgram (µg) a thousandth of a milligram: 1,000 µg make 1 mg.
- A lot
Protein
Your muscles, and every other tissue, are built and repaired from it.
Learn more
23.8 g in one serving: 43% of the 56 g a day men need, 52% of the 46 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- A lot
Vitamin B12
Your body needs it to make red blood cells and keep nerves working.
Learn more
24 µg in one serving: 1000% of the 2.4 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B12 fact sheet for health professionals
- A lot
Omega-3: EPA + DHA
Long-chain omega-3s, built into your cell membranes. DHA is concentrated in your brain and retinas.
Learn more
782 mg in one serving: 313% of the 250 mg a day.
Health Canada sets no daily amount for these fats, so the daily figure here is the European Food Safety Authority’s.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- A lot
Selenium
Your thyroid uses it to make its hormones.
Eaten every day, one serving would be 22% of Health Canada’s upper level for adults (400 µg a day): a ceiling for daily intake, not one meal. See Watch out.
Learn more
89.6 µg in one serving: 163% of the 55 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, selenium fact sheet for health professionals
- A lot
Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents)
More than 400 of your enzymes need it to work.
Learn more
7.45 mg in one serving: 47% of the 16 mg a day men need, 53% of the 14 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, niacin fact sheet for health professionals
- A lot
Iron
Carries oxygen in your blood.
Learn more
6.72 mg in one serving: 84% of the 8 mg a day men need, 37% of the 18 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, iron fact sheet for health professionals
- A lot
Riboflavin (B2)
Your cells use it to make energy and handle fats. It also helps turn tryptophan into niacin and activate vitamin B6.
Learn more
0.42 mg in one serving: 32% of the 1.3 mg a day men need, 38% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, riboflavin fact sheet for health professionals
- A lot
Thiamin (B1)
Your cells use it to get energy from food, and so to grow and work.
Learn more
0.3 mg in one serving: 25% of the 1.2 mg a day men need, 27% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, thiamin fact sheet for health professionals
- A lot
Zinc
Your immune system and healing wounds depend on it.
Learn more
2.67 mg in one serving: 24% of the 11 mg a day men need, 33% of the 8 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, zinc fact sheet for health professionals
10 more nutrients below “a lot”
- Some
Folate
Your body needs it to make DNA and to divide new cells.
Learn more
76 µg in one serving: 19% of the 400 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, folate fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Vitamin C
Your body makes collagen with it, which wounds need to heal. It also helps you absorb iron from plants.
Learn more
13.6 mg in one serving: 15% of the 90 mg a day men need, 18% of the 75 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin C fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Vitamin A
Your eyes need it to see in dim light.
Learn more
Getting enough matters; more than enough doesn’t sharpen your sight.
91 µg in one serving: 10% of the 900 µg a day men need, 13% of the 700 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin A fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Magnesium
Your muscles and nerves need it to work.
Learn more
37 mg in one serving: 9% of the 400 mg a day men need, 12% of the 310 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Potassium
Your nerves, muscles and kidneys need it to work.
Learn more
268 mg in one serving: 8% of the 3,400 mg a day men need, 10% of the 2,600 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, potassium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin B6
Helps you use protein, and your brain needs it to make its chemical messengers.
Learn more
0.1 mg in one serving: 8% of the 1.3 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B6 fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Calcium
Builds your bones and teeth.
Learn more
33 mg in one serving: 3% of the 1,000 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, calcium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Omega-3: ALA
The one omega-3 your body can’t make: it must come from food. Your cells build it into their membranes and burn it for energy.
Learn more
40 mg in one serving: 3% of the 1,600 mg a day men need, 4% of the 1,100 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin D
Your body needs it to absorb calcium and keep your bones hard.
Learn more
Your skin also makes it in sunlight, so food is only one of its sources.
0.28 µg in one serving: 2% of the 15 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Fibre
Keeps your gut moving.
Learn more
0 g in one serving: under 1% of the 38 g a day men need, under 1% of the 25 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
Missing from our databases for this food, so left out, not counted as zero: vitamin E, vitamin K1 and choline.
How to handle it
Flagged for mussels and clams eaten raw or only until the shells open: this is an outbreak risk of the form eaten, with no dose figure. The Canadian record is oysters, with 331 cases linked to BC oysters in 2016-17; PHAC's heat-treatment advice for shellfish is 90 °C for at least 90 seconds.
Flagged for raw or lightly cooked mussels, not cooked ones: Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a matter of the form eaten, not a dose. In Canada in 2015, 82 cases were linked to raw shellfish, primarily oysters; no mussel-specific record was found.
Watch out
How we counted this
Cadmium
Limit itBuilds up in the kidneys over years.
Learn more
86 g a week takes an average adult to the limit
You’d need about 0.9 servings a week of this food alone to use up what an average adult’s intake leaves under the limit.
One serving carries 59.8 µg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 338% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit. With that serving every day, an average adult would be at about 310% of the limit.
An average adult already takes in about 71% of the limit. One serving a day uses up the room left in about 0.9 days of the week.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 290 g a week would reach the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Limit it: weekly or less
Weekly or less: EFSA's 2009 tolerable weekly intake for cadmium is 2.5 µg/kg body weight/week, 175 µg/week for 70 kg. Cooked mussels average 0.5976 µg/g (CFIA inspection results, 583 samples; the raw mean of 0.2987 doubled for water loss, with no cooking-retention study), so about 293 g cooked a week, eaten alone, would reach it. One 100 g cooked serving carries 59.8 µg, about 267% to 398% of the average adult's whole day (EFSA 2012, 15.0–22.3 µg/day; shown, not subtracted), and 2.4 times the weekly limit if eaten daily.
CFIA, Mercury and Metals in Fish Products, 2000-2021 (inspection results; compilation of raw data) · grade B
Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs
Worth knowingAn average adult is already at or past the limit from other food.
Learn more
Flagged for dioxins and PCBs (small sample): EFSA's 2026 tolerable weekly intake is 0.6 pg WHO 2022 toxic equivalents/kg body weight/week, 42 pg/week for 70 kg. CFIA's 6 mussel samples average 0.4019 pg/g cooked on the upper bound, so about 105 g cooked a week, eaten alone, would reach it (273 g on the lower bound), and a 100 g serving carries 40.2 pg. The upper bound is mostly detection-limit contribution, one extreme sample drives the lower bound, and EFSA's mean adult intake is already above the weekly limit.
Manganese
Worth knowingFlagged for manganese: Health Canada's upper intake level is 11 mg/day for adults 19 and over, from all sources. Cooked blue mussel is listed at 6.8 mg per 100 g (one USDA database value, not a survey), so about 162 g cooked a day would reach it, and a 100 g serving is 62% of the limit on its own.
Learn more
How we got this
Selenium
Worth knowingFlagged for selenium: EFSA's 2023 upper level is 255 µg/day and Health Canada's is 400 µg/day. A 100 g serving of cooked mussels carries 89.6 µg on the USDA listing, 35% of EFSA's level and 22% of Health Canada's; about 285 g a day would reach EFSA's (446 g Health Canada's). CFIA's inspection results, raw tissue, give more once doubled for water lost in cooking (about 127 µg a serving, an upper bound); selenium is also a required nutrient.
Learn more
How we got this
Methylmercury
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 1.2 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to use up what an average adult’s intake leaves under the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 8.83 µg
How we got this
An average adult already takes in about 18% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 1,000 g a week would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 700 g a week, which stays within the 840 g of room left before the limit.
Women who are or may become pregnant, and children: 160 g a day.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: EFSA's 2012 tolerable weekly intake is 1.3 µg/kg body weight/week as mercury, 91 µg/week for 70 kg. Taking total mercury as an upper limit for methylmercury, cooked mussels average 0.0883 µg/g (upper bound, 558 samples, 91.9% non-detects), so about 1,030 g cooked a week, eaten alone, would reach it (12,819 g on the lower bound). Health Canada's 0.2 µg/kg body weight/day for women of child-bearing age and children (14 µg/day at 70 kg) sits beside it.
CFIA, Mercury and Metals in Fish Products, 2000-2021 (inspection results; compilation of raw data) · grade B
Aluminum
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 2.1 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to reach the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 4.7 mg
How we got this
1,500 g a week reaches the limit
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: EFSA's tolerable weekly intake for aluminium is 1 mg/kg body weight/week, 70,000 µg/week for 70 kg. Cooked mussels average 47.00 µg/g (CFIA inspection results, 431 samples; the raw mean of 23.49 doubled for water loss), so about 1,489 g cooked a week, eaten alone, would reach it, and about 3,600 g at the median (19.5 cooked). A 100 g serving carries 4.7 mg; no background intake is counted.
CFIA, Mercury and Metals in Fish Products, 2000-2021 (inspection results; compilation of raw data) · grade B
For some people
Flagged for pregnancy: Health Canada advises against raw and undercooked seafood in pregnancy. The mussel form rated here is cooked.
Also checked (nothing to act on) · 8
Noted for context, or not measured in this food yet.
Not measured in this food yet. Not rated: EFSA's 2009 opinion sets an acute reference dose for domoic acid, but the value was seen only in secondhand sources and is left out, and no measured occurrence was found, so there is no grams figure. Canada controls this toxin by harvest-area closure.
Shown as context, not rated: total arsenic has no health-based value; the inorganic share is what would be rated. Cooked mussels average 4.1253 µg/g total arsenic (CFIA inspection results, 282 samples; the raw mean of 2.062 doubled for water loss). Cooking and digestion can convert methylated arsenic to inorganic arsenic in shellfish.
Not measured in this food yet. Not rated: EFSA's 2008 opinion on the okadaic acid group sets an acute reference dose, but the value was seen only in secondhand sources and is left out, and no measured occurrence was found, so there is no grams figure. EFSA notes that smaller portions of shellfish with these toxins can still cause diarrhoea and vomiting.
Not measured in this food yet. Not rated: EFSA's 2011 no-effect level is 50 mg of histamine per person per meal, but no measured histamine figure for fresh cooked mussels was found, so there is no grams figure. Mediterranean mussel stored for 24 h at room temperature showed raised histamine, which is a storage effect.
Not measured in this food yet. Not rated: EFSA's 2024 reference point for inorganic arsenic is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL05) of 0.06 µg/kg body weight/day, with no safe threshold, and no inorganic share was measured for mussels, so there is no grams figure. A 2018 study found that boiling and steaming turned methylated arsenic into inorganic arsenic in shellfish, though its abstract gives no numbers.
Measured in this food, not rated yet. Not rated: no safe threshold is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day, 35 µg/day at 70 kg. Cooked mussels average 0.3647 µg/g at the lower bound (CFIA inspection results, 583 samples, 4.3% non-detects; the raw mean of 0.1823 doubled for water loss), so a 100 g cooked serving carries 36.5 µg. No comparison with average adult intake has been made.
Not measured in this food yet. Not rated: EFSA's 2009 acute reference dose for paralytic shellfish toxins is 0.5 µg STX equivalents/kg body weight (35 µg at 70 kg) per sitting, but no measured retail occurrence was found, so no grams figure is computed at a legal limit. Canada controls it by harvest-area closure (action level 80 µg per 100 g of meat), and cooking does not destroy the toxins.
Context (chronic disease risk reduction intake (CDRR) 2,300 mg/day, Health Canada): 100 g cooked = 16%. Not scored.
Purines, which matter for gout, aren’t measured for this food yet.
Better options
How we counted this
“Better” here always means better at something the row names: more of one nutrient, more nutrients per serving, or the goal you pick. It never means better in every way.
Every amount below is for the same weight, 100 g, the size of one serving of this food, so a swap compares like with like. A serving of another food can be bigger or smaller.
A food is listed only if it gives clearly more: at least a fifth more than this food, and at least 10% of the daily amount more.
More of what it’s good for
More protein
Chicken breast, roasted31 g in 100 g (this food: 23.8 g) · but less vitamin B12 and omega-3: EPA + DHA
More omega-3: EPA + DHA
Mackerel, cooked1,203 mg in 100 g (this food: 782 mg) · but less vitamin B12Worth knowing: dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs · this food has it too
Sardines, canned in oil982 mg in 100 g (this food: 782 mg) · but less vitamin B12Worth knowing: dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs · this food has it too
Amounts as listed, not adjusted for how much gets in.
For vitamin B12: Clams, cooked would lead, in the same 100 g, but is left out (Cadmium: limit it).
Chicken liver, simmered would lead this list, but it’s left out (Preformed vitamin A (retinol): limit it).
Your goal
Your goal changes only this list, not what the food gives you or what to watch.
Losing weight: fewer calories, and more nutrients, protein and fibre for each calorie.
Chicken liver, simmered would lead this list, but it’s left out (Preformed vitamin A (retinol): limit it).
Building muscle: more protein and more calories, per 100 g.
Bacon, pan-fried33.9 g protein · 468 kcal per 100 gWorth knowing: dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs · this food has it too
1 food out of the 21 other main-dish proteins we’ve checked and could compare gives clearly more protein, and more calories, per 100 g.
Why some foods aren’t suggested
Left out: Clams, cooked (Cadmium: limit it).
Left out: Farmed salmon, cooked (Histamine: go easy).
Left out: Chicken liver, simmered (Preformed vitamin A (retinol): limit it).
Bring a tracker export or describe your usual week. The same rules check all of it.
The numbers
Open every value
Name in the database: Mussel, blue, cooked, moist heat
How the serving was set: 100 g cooked (Health Canada TRA item I.3, marine and fresh water animals without sauce: 125 g raw, 100 g cooked)
Listed nutrients, per 100 g
For each nutrient, the value this page uses is marked “used”. A row marked “second database” is another database’s figure for a matching food, kept so you can see how far databases disagree (they can differ in the samples analysed, lab methods and rounding). Its own cells are worked out from it, but none of the page’s words or scores are.
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omega-3: ALA | 0.04 g | 0.04 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Calcium | 33 mg | 33 mg | 19.19 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| 33 mg | 33 mg | 19.19 mg | copy of USDA · not used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #3116 | C | |
| Carbohydrate | 7.39 g | 7.39 g | 4.3 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Energy | 172 kcal | 172 kcal | – | FDC Energy (kcal) used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) | – |
| Omega-3: EPA + DHA | 0.782 g | 0.78 g | 0.45 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Fat | 4.48 g | 4.48 g | 2.6 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Cholesterol | 56 mg | 56 mg | 32.56 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.85 g | 0.85 g | 0.49 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Fibre | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Folate | 76 µg | 76 µg | 44.19 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Iron | 6.72 mg | 6.72 mg | 3.91 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Magnesium | 37 mg | 37 mg | 21.51 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Manganese | 6.8 mg | 6.8 mg | 3.95 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents) | 7.45 mg | 7.45 mg | 4.33 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #3116 | C |
| Phosphorus | 285 mg | 285 mg | 165.7 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Potassium | 268 mg | 268 mg | 155.81 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Protein | 23.8 g | 23.8 g | 13.84 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.42 mg | 0.42 mg | 0.24 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Selenium | 89.6 µg | 89.6 µg | 52.09 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Sodium | 369 mg | 369 mg | 214.53 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.3 mg | 0.3 mg | 0.17 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Vitamin A | 91 µg | 91 µg | 52.91 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Vitamin B12 | 24 µg | 24 µg | 13.95 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.1 mg | 0.1 mg | 0.06 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Vitamin C | 13.6 mg | 13.6 mg | 7.91 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Vitamin D | 0.28 µg | 0.28 µg | 0.16 µg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #3116 | C |
| Water | 61.15 g | 61.15 g | 35.55 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Zinc | 2.67 mg | 2.67 mg | 1.55 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | 0.149 mg | 0.15 mg | 0.09 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Ash | 3.18 g | 3.18 g | 1.85 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Energy | 720 kj | 720 kj | 418.6 kj | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Vitamin A, IU | 304 iu | 304 iu | 176.74 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Folate, food | 76 µg | 76 µg | 44.19 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Folate, DFE | 76 µg | 76 µg | 44.19 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Tryptophan | 0.267 g | 0.27 g | 0.16 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Threonine | 1.025 g | 1.03 g | 0.6 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Isoleucine | 1.036 g | 1.04 g | 0.6 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Leucine | 1.676 g | 1.68 g | 0.97 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Lysine | 1.779 g | 1.78 g | 1.03 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Methionine | 0.537 g | 0.54 g | 0.31 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Cystine | 0.312 g | 0.31 g | 0.18 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Phenylalanine | 0.853 g | 0.85 g | 0.5 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Tyrosine | 0.762 g | 0.76 g | 0.44 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Valine | 1.04 g | 1.04 g | 0.6 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Arginine | 1.737 g | 1.74 g | 1.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Histidine | 0.457 g | 0.46 g | 0.27 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Alanine | 1.44 g | 1.44 g | 0.84 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Aspartic acid | 2.297 g | 2.3 g | 1.34 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Glutamic acid | 3.238 g | 3.24 g | 1.88 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Glycine | 1.489 g | 1.49 g | 0.87 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Proline | 0.971 g | 0.97 g | 0.56 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Serine | 1.067 g | 1.07 g | 0.62 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.118 g | 0.12 g | 0.07 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.588 g | 0.59 g | 0.34 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.136 g | 0.14 g | 0.08 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| MUFA 18:1 | 0.41 g | 0.41 g | 0.24 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| PUFA 18:2 | 0.036 g | 0.04 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.04 g | 0.04 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.14 g | 0.14 g | 0.08 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0.506 g | 0.51 g | 0.29 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.276 g | 0.28 g | 0.16 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0.07 g | 0.07 g | 0.04 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.276 g | 0.28 g | 0.16 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.276 g | 0.28 g | 0.16 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.052 g | 0.05 g | 0.03 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0.044 g | 0.04 g | 0.03 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 1.014 g | 1.01 g | 0.59 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 1.212 g | 1.21 g | 0.7 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Niacin (B3, preformed) | 3 mg | 3 mg | 1.74 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.95 mg | 0.95 mg | 0.55 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
| Retinol | 91 µg | 91 µg | 52.91 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174217 | C |
Change the amount to rescale the first column. Nutrients a database doesn't list are missing, not zero.
Hazard rows as the dataset rates them
- Aluminum · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: EFSA's tolerable weekly intake for aluminium is 1 mg/kg body weight/week, 70,000 µg/week for 70 kg. Cooked mussels average 47.00 µg/g (CFIA inspection results, 431 samples; the raw mean of 23.49 doubled for water loss), so about 1,489 g cooked a week, eaten alone, would reach it, and about 3,600 g at the median (19.5 cooked). A 100 g serving carries 4.7 mg; no background intake is counted. · CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · B
- Amnesic shellfish toxins (domoic acid) · Not rated yet · Not rated: EFSA's 2009 opinion sets an acute reference dose for domoic acid, but the value was seen only in secondhand sources and is left out, and no measured occurrence was found, so there is no grams figure. Canada controls this toxin by harvest-area closure. · EFSA 2009 · B
- Arsenic, all forms · Context · Shown as context, not rated: total arsenic has no health-based value; the inorganic share is what would be rated. Cooked mussels average 4.1253 µg/g total arsenic (CFIA inspection results, 282 samples; the raw mean of 2.062 doubled for water loss). Cooking and digestion can convert methylated arsenic to inorganic arsenic in shellfish. · CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · B
- Cadmium · Limit it: weekly or less · Weekly or less: EFSA's 2009 tolerable weekly intake for cadmium is 2.5 µg/kg body weight/week, 175 µg/week for 70 kg. Cooked mussels average 0.5976 µg/g (CFIA inspection results, 583 samples; the raw mean of 0.2987 doubled for water loss, with no cooking-retention study), so about 293 g cooked a week, eaten alone, would reach it. One 100 g cooked serving carries 59.8 µg, about 267% to 398% of the average adult's whole day (EFSA 2012, 15.0–22.3 µg/day; shown, not subtracted), and 2.4 times the weekly limit if eaten daily. · CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · B
- Diarrhetic shellfish toxins · Not rated yet · Not rated: EFSA's 2008 opinion on the okadaic acid group sets an acute reference dose, but the value was seen only in secondhand sources and is left out, and no measured occurrence was found, so there is no grams figure. EFSA notes that smaller portions of shellfish with these toxins can still cause diarrhoea and vomiting. · EFSA 2009 · B
- Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs · Worth knowing · Flagged for dioxins and PCBs (small sample): EFSA's 2026 tolerable weekly intake is 0.6 pg WHO 2022 toxic equivalents/kg body weight/week, 42 pg/week for 70 kg. CFIA's 6 mussel samples average 0.4019 pg/g cooked on the upper bound, so about 105 g cooked a week, eaten alone, would reach it (273 g on the lower bound), and a 100 g serving carries 40.2 pg. The upper bound is mostly detection-limit contribution, one extreme sample drives the lower bound, and EFSA's mean adult intake is already above the weekly limit. · CFIA dioxins survey (2014–2019) · C
- Histamine · Not rated yet · Not rated: EFSA's 2011 no-effect level is 50 mg of histamine per person per meal, but no measured histamine figure for fresh cooked mussels was found, so there is no grams figure. Mediterranean mussel stored for 24 h at room temperature showed raised histamine, which is a storage effect. · PubMed 21183430 · C
- Inorganic arsenic · Not rated yet · Not rated: EFSA's 2024 reference point for inorganic arsenic is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL05) of 0.06 µg/kg body weight/day, with no safe threshold, and no inorganic share was measured for mussels, so there is no grams figure. A 2018 study found that boiling and steaming turned methylated arsenic into inorganic arsenic in shellfish, though its abstract gives no numbers. · PubMed 29953224 · B
- Lead · Not rated yet · Not rated: no safe threshold is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day, 35 µg/day at 70 kg. Cooked mussels average 0.3647 µg/g at the lower bound (CFIA inspection results, 583 samples, 4.3% non-detects; the raw mean of 0.1823 doubled for water loss), so a 100 g cooked serving carries 36.5 µg. No comparison with average adult intake has been made. · CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · B
- Manganese · Worth knowing · Flagged for manganese: Health Canada's upper intake level is 11 mg/day for adults 19 and over, from all sources. Cooked blue mussel is listed at 6.8 mg per 100 g (one USDA database value, not a survey), so about 162 g cooked a day would reach it, and a 100 g serving is 62% of the limit on its own. · US food database (USDA SR Legacy) · C
- Methylmercury · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: EFSA's 2012 tolerable weekly intake is 1.3 µg/kg body weight/week as mercury, 91 µg/week for 70 kg. Taking total mercury as an upper limit for methylmercury, cooked mussels average 0.0883 µg/g (upper bound, 558 samples, 91.9% non-detects), so about 1,030 g cooked a week, eaten alone, would reach it (12,819 g on the lower bound). Health Canada's 0.2 µg/kg body weight/day for women of child-bearing age and children (14 µg/day at 70 kg) sits beside it. · CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · B
- Mollusc allergy · Worth knowing · Flagged for people with a mollusc allergy: molluscs are a Health Canada priority allergen, and mussels and clams are molluscs. It is not scored by dose. · Health Canada, Crustaceans and Molluscs - Priority food allergens · A
- Norovirus · Worth knowing · Flagged for mussels and clams eaten raw or only until the shells open: this is an outbreak risk of the form eaten, with no dose figure. The Canadian record is oysters, with 331 cases linked to BC oysters in 2016-17; PHAC's heat-treatment advice for shellfish is 90 °C for at least 90 seconds. · PHAC 2017 · A
- Paralytic shellfish toxins · Not rated yet · Not rated: EFSA's 2009 acute reference dose for paralytic shellfish toxins is 0.5 µg STX equivalents/kg body weight (35 µg at 70 kg) per sitting, but no measured retail occurrence was found, so no grams figure is computed at a legal limit. Canada controls it by harvest-area closure (action level 80 µg per 100 g of meat), and cooking does not destroy the toxins. · EFSA 2009 · A
- Raw seafood in pregnancy · Worth knowing · Flagged for pregnancy: Health Canada advises against raw and undercooked seafood in pregnancy. The mussel form rated here is cooked. · Health Canada 2025 · A
- Safe cooking temperature · Worth knowing · Flagged for cooking: shellfish should reach a safe internal temperature, and shells that stay closed after cooking are discarded (Health Canada's pregnancy page). Two figures appear in the sources and they differ: 74 °C (165 °F) from that page and 90 °C for 90 seconds from PHAC's notices. · Health Canada 2025 · B
- Selenium · Worth knowing · Flagged for selenium: EFSA's 2023 upper level is 255 µg/day and Health Canada's is 400 µg/day. A 100 g serving of cooked mussels carries 89.6 µg on the USDA listing, 35% of EFSA's level and 22% of Health Canada's; about 285 g a day would reach EFSA's (446 g Health Canada's). CFIA's inspection results, raw tissue, give more once doubled for water lost in cooking (about 127 µg a serving, an upper bound); selenium is also a required nutrient. · US food database (USDA SR Legacy) · C
- Sodium · Context · Context (chronic disease risk reduction intake (CDRR) 2,300 mg/day, Health Canada): 100 g cooked = 16%. Not scored. · US food database (USDA SR Legacy) · C
- Vibrio · Worth knowing · Flagged for raw or lightly cooked mussels, not cooked ones: Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a matter of the form eaten, not a dose. In Canada in 2015, 82 cases were linked to raw shellfish, primarily oysters; no mussel-specific record was found. · PHAC 2015 · A
Sources
- CFIA, Food Safety Action Plan Targeted Survey: Dioxins and Dioxin-like Compounds in Selected Foods 2014-2019 (data and 2-page overview PDF; report page inspection.canada.ca)
cfia-dioxins-2014-2019· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - CFIA, Mercury and Metals in Fish Products, 2000-2021 (inspection results; compilation of raw data)
cfia-metals-fish-2000-2021· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File 2026 (14th edition)
cnf-2026· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - EFSA, news story: EFSA issues advice on marine biotoxins (CONTAM Panel opinions on okadaic acid, azaspiracid, saxitoxin, domoic acid, yessotoxin and pectenotoxin groups), 26 August 2009
efsa-2009-biotoxins-press· secondary source · licence not recorded - EFSA CONTAM Panel (2009). Scientific Opinion on marine biotoxins in shellfish - Saxitoxin group. EFSA Journal 1019, 1-76 · doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2009.1019
efsa-2009-saxitoxin· secondary source · licence not recorded - USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, 2018-04
fdc-sr-legacy-2018-04· dataset · CC0 1.0 (public domain) - Health Canada, Crustaceans and Molluscs - Priority food allergens (2017, Cat. H164-156/5-1-2017E-PDF)
hc-priority-allergens-crustaceans-molluscs· secondary source · Government of Canada terms (Crown copyright) - Health Canada, Safe food handling for pregnant people (published March 2025)
hc-safe-food-pregnant-2025· page · Government of Canada terms (Crown copyright; not OGL) - Public Health Agency of Canada, Public Health Notice - Outbreak of Vibrio parahaemolyticus linked to raw shellfish, 15 October 2015 (final update)
phac-2015-vibrio-raw-shellfish· secondary source · Government of Canada terms (Crown copyright) - Public Health Agency of Canada, Public Health Notice - Ongoing outbreak of norovirus and gastrointestinal illnesses linked to raw and undercooked oysters from British Columbia, 11 May 2017 (final update)
phac-2017-norovirus-oysters· secondary source · Government of Canada terms (Crown copyright) - Determination of biogenic amines and endotoxin in squid, musky octopus, Norway lobster, and mussel stored at room temperature. Arh Hig Rada Toksikol 2010 (PMID 21183430)
pmid:21183430· abstract only · licence not recorded - Change of Arsenic Speciation in Shellfish after Cooking and Gastrointestinal Digestion. J Agric Food Chem 2018 (PMID 29953224)
pmid:29953224· abstract only · licence not recorded
Body map 2026-10-25.1: each nutrient’s job comes from an agency fact sheet, linked beside it under Good for.
The plain words: “a lot” means one serving (100 g when the food has no serving size) gives at least 20% of the daily amount (the reference intake), “some” at least 10%, “a little” at least 2% (the cut-offs are ours, one set for every page: 20% and 10% are borrowed from the US labelling terms “high” and “good source” and applied to Health Canada’s daily amount, whereas Health Canada’s own shopper rule says 15%; provisional: they may change in a later method version). The daily amount is Health Canada’s Dietary Reference Intake for adults 19–30; where men and women need different amounts we use the higher one (protein: 56 g for men, 46 g for women). The percentage printed under each nutrient is the printed amount as a share of that daily amount, rounded to the nearest whole number, and the word is read from that percentage, so the amount, the percentage and the word always agree. Calcium with a measured absorption is scaled by how well it gets in compared with milk.
The scale: “Nothing to watch” means a serving a day stays under the limit at ordinary amounts; “Go easy” means a serving a day can push past the limit for adults who already take in the most, or fewer than 2 servings reach it; “Limit it” means once a week or less. The dataset’s own rating is under “How we got this”. Provisional: the scale may change in a later method version.
Measured absorption under Good for: grade-A studies in adults that tested this preparation of this food, as a share of the listed amount (the share digested, for protein), quoted once each source has passed our evidence check; animal studies and other variants stay in the table above. Provisional: this screen may change in a later method version.