Pacific oysters, raw
Checked by us One serving: 125 g (about 2½ medium oysters) · 101 kcal
Protein, plus vitamin B12 and omega-3: EPA + DHA. Rich in 5 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 (125 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
11.8 g in one serving: 21% of the 56 g a day men need, 26% 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
20 µg in one serving: 833% 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
860 mg in one serving: 344% 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
Zinc
Your immune system and healing wounds depend on it.
Learn more
20.8 mg in one serving: 189% of the 11 mg a day men need, 260% 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
- A lot
Selenium
Your thyroid uses it to make its hormones.
Learn more
96.3 µg in one serving: 175% 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
Iron
Carries oxygen in your blood.
Learn more
6.39 mg in one serving: 80% of the 8 mg a day men need, 36% 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
Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents)
More than 400 of your enzymes need it to work.
Learn more
4.72 mg in one serving: 30% of the 16 mg a day men need, 34% 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
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
0.29 mg in one serving: 22% of the 1.3 mg a day men need, 26% 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
10 more nutrients below “a lot”
- 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.
101 µg in one serving: 11% of the 900 µg a day men need, 14% 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
- Some
Vitamin C
Your body makes collagen with it, which wounds need to heal. It also helps you absorb iron from plants.
Learn more
10 mg in one serving: 11% of the 90 mg a day men need, 13% 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
- A little
Thiamin (B1)
Your cells use it to get energy from food, and so to grow and work.
Learn more
0.08 mg in one serving: 7% of the 1.2 mg a day men need, 7% 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 little
Magnesium
Your muscles and nerves need it to work.
Learn more
27.5 mg in one serving: 7% of the 400 mg a day men need, 9% 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
210 mg in one serving: 6% of the 3,400 mg a day men need, 8% 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
0.06 mg in one serving: 5% 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
Folate
Your body needs it to make DNA and to divide new cells.
Learn more
12.5 µg in one serving: 3% 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
- 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
- Almost none
Calcium
Builds your bones and teeth.
Learn more
10 mg in one serving: 1% 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
- 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, vitamin D and choline.
How to handle it
Flagged for anyone eating raw or lightly cooked oysters: norovirus, with no dose figure. PHAC says lightly cooking oysters is not enough; they need 90 °C for at least 90 seconds. From December 2016 to March 2017, 331 cases of gastrointestinal illness were linked to British Columbia oysters (BC 230, Alberta 42, Ontario 59), with no deaths. A second outbreak, mid-March to mid-April 2018, caused 176 cases (BC 137, Alberta 14, Ontario 25), again no deaths, and closed with the cause of contamination not determined.
Flagged for anyone eating raw or undercooked oysters: Vibrio parahaemolyticus is an acute infection risk, with no dose figure; the agency advice is the finding. In 2015 Canada had 82 cases (British Columbia 60, Alberta 19, Saskatchewan 1, Ontario 2), linked mainly to oysters. PHAC names the at-risk groups: pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, liver disease or low stomach acidity, young children and the elderly. PHAC and Health Canada advise cooking shellfish to an internal temperature of 74 °C (165 °F). The risk does not apply to canned or cooked oysters.
Watch out
How we counted this
Cadmium
Limit itBuilds up in the kidneys over years.
Learn more
36 g a week takes an average adult to the limit
You’d need about 0.3 servings a week of this food alone to use up what an average adult’s intake leaves under the limit.
One serving carries 179 µg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 1,010% 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 786% 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 0.3 days of the week.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 120 g a week would reach the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Limit it: weekly or less
Weekly or less: EFSA's tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for cadmium is 2.5 µg/kg body weight/week, 175 µg a week for 70 kg. Eaten alone, about 120 g a week of Pacific oyster meat would reach it. A 125 g serving a day carries 178.8 µg, 1010% of the median adult's 17.7 µg a day. Background (EFSA 2012 adults 1.77, range 1.50–2.23 µg/kg body weight/week) is shown, not subtracted.
CFIA, Mercury and Metals in Fish Products, 2000-2021 (inspection results; compilation of raw data) · grade A
For some people
Measured, not rated: 230.6 mg purines
Learn more
If you have gout: avoiding organ meats such as liver, which are higher in purines, is one of the diet changes that help lower uric acid in the blood and the number of flares, according to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Source: NIAMS (NIH), Gout: diagnosis, treatment, and steps to take
How we got this
Not rated for people with gout or hyperuricemia: the only reference is a Japanese dietary recommendation of 400 mg purines a day, seen through Kaneko 2014 rather than an agency document, so no reference is established. Oysters measure 184.5 mg purines per 100 g (HPLC, Kaneko 2014, four purine bases; the species is not stated), so a 125 g serving carries about 231 mg. For scale only, 400 mg would be reached at about 217 g.
Flagged for pregnancy: Health Canada advises avoiding raw oysters, clams and mussels; shellfish cooked until the shell has opened is the safe alternative.
Worth knowing
No limit applies, so none is rated.
Cholesterol
63 mg in a 125 g serving.
Learn more
Shown, not rated: the current US and Canadian dietary guidelines set no daily limit for cholesterol from food, and put the weight on saturated fat and the overall diet. The Canadian Nutrition Facts table gives it no percent daily value.
Source: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 · Health Canada, Canada’s Dietary Guidelines, Section 1
Also checked (nothing to act on) · 1
Noted for context, or not measured in this food yet.
Not measured in this food yet. Not rated: EFSA's 2009 acute reference dose (ARfD) for paralytic shellfish toxins is 0.5 µg STX equivalents/kg body weight, 30 µg for a 60 kg adult (35 µg at 70 kg) per sitting. No measured retail occurrence was found, so there is no grams figure, and none is computed at a legal limit. EFSA's own illustration: a 400 g portion at the EU limit of 800 µg/kg would give 320 µg, far over the ARfD. In Canada, control works by harvest-area closure.
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, 125 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, roasted38.8 g in 125 g (this food: 11.8 g) · but less vitamin B12 and omega-3: EPA + DHA
Ground beef, 80% lean, cooked33.8 g in 125 g (this food: 11.8 g) · but less vitamin B12 and omega-3: EPA + DHA
Amounts as listed, not adjusted for how much gets in.
For vitamin B12: Clams, cooked would lead, in the same 125 g, but is left out (Cadmium: limit it).
For omega-3: EPA + DHA: Farmed salmon, cooked would lead, in the same 125 g, but is left out (Histamine: go easy).
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.
- Chicken breast, roasted31 g protein · 165 kcal per 100 g
- Ground beef, 80% lean, cooked27 g protein · 272 kcal per 100 g
Tilapia, cooked26.2 g protein · 128 kcal per 100 g
Why some foods aren’t suggested
Left out: Bacon, pan-fried (Worth knowing: dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs · portions too different to compare by weight).
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: Oysters, Pacific, raw
How the serving was set: 125 g raw (Health Canada TRA item I.3)
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 | 0.032 g | 0.04 g | 0.04 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Calcium | 8 mg | 10 mg | 9.88 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| 8 mg | 10 mg | 9.88 mg | copy of USDA · not used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #3122 | C | |
| Carbohydrate | 4.95 g | 6.19 g | 6.11 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Energy | 81 kcal | 101.25 kcal | – | FDC Energy (kcal) used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) | – |
| Omega-3: EPA + DHA | 0.688 g | 0.86 g | 0.85 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Fat | 2.3 g | 2.88 g | 2.84 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Cholesterol | 50 mg | 62.5 mg | 61.73 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.51 g | 0.64 g | 0.63 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Fibre | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Folate | 10 µg | 12.5 µg | 12.35 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Iron | 5.11 mg | 6.39 mg | 6.31 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Magnesium | 22 mg | 27.5 mg | 27.16 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents) | 3.777 mg | 4.72 mg | 4.66 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #3122 | C |
| Phosphorus | 162 mg | 202.5 mg | 200 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Potassium | 168 mg | 210 mg | 207.41 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Protein | 9.45 g | 11.81 g | 11.67 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.233 mg | 0.29 mg | 0.29 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Selenium | 77 µg | 96.25 µg | 95.06 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Sodium | 106 mg | 132.5 mg | 130.86 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.067 mg | 0.08 mg | 0.08 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Vitamin A | 81 µg | 101.25 µg | 100 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Vitamin B12 | 16 µg | 20 µg | 19.75 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.05 mg | 0.06 mg | 0.06 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Vitamin C | 8 mg | 10 mg | 9.88 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Water | 82.06 g | 102.58 g | 101.31 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Zinc | 16.62 mg | 20.78 mg | 20.52 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | 1.576 mg | 1.97 mg | 1.95 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Ash | 1.23 g | 1.54 g | 1.52 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Energy | 339 kj | 423.75 kj | 418.52 kj | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Vitamin A, IU | 270 iu | 337.5 iu | 333.33 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Folate, food | 10 µg | 12.5 µg | 12.35 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Folate, DFE | 10 µg | 12.5 µg | 12.35 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Tryptophan | 0.106 g | 0.13 g | 0.13 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Threonine | 0.407 g | 0.51 g | 0.5 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Isoleucine | 0.411 g | 0.51 g | 0.51 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Leucine | 0.665 g | 0.83 g | 0.82 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Lysine | 0.706 g | 0.88 g | 0.87 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Methionine | 0.213 g | 0.27 g | 0.26 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Cystine | 0.124 g | 0.16 g | 0.15 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Phenylalanine | 0.339 g | 0.42 g | 0.42 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Tyrosine | 0.302 g | 0.38 g | 0.37 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Valine | 0.413 g | 0.52 g | 0.51 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Arginine | 0.689 g | 0.86 g | 0.85 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Histidine | 0.181 g | 0.23 g | 0.22 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Alanine | 0.572 g | 0.72 g | 0.71 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Aspartic acid | 0.912 g | 1.14 g | 1.13 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Glutamic acid | 1.285 g | 1.61 g | 1.59 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Glycine | 0.591 g | 0.74 g | 0.73 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Proline | 0.386 g | 0.48 g | 0.48 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Serine | 0.423 g | 0.53 g | 0.52 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| SFA 4:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| SFA 6:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| SFA 8:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| SFA 10:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| SFA 12:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.082 g | 0.1 g | 0.1 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.357 g | 0.45 g | 0.44 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.071 g | 0.09 g | 0.09 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| MUFA 18:1 | 0.191 g | 0.24 g | 0.24 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| PUFA 18:2 | 0.032 g | 0.04 g | 0.04 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.032 g | 0.04 g | 0.04 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.038 g | 0.05 g | 0.05 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0.25 g | 0.31 g | 0.31 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.114 g | 0.14 g | 0.14 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0.084 g | 0.11 g | 0.1 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.438 g | 0.55 g | 0.54 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.053 g | 0.07 g | 0.07 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0.02 g | 0.03 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 0.358 g | 0.45 g | 0.44 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 0.894 g | 1.12 g | 1.1 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Manganese | 0.643 mg | 0.8 mg | 0.79 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Niacin (B3, preformed) | 2.01 mg | 2.51 mg | 2.48 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.5 mg | 0.63 mg | 0.62 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | C |
| Retinol | 81 µg | 101.25 µg | 100 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #174219 | 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
- Cadmium · Limit it: weekly or less · Weekly or less: EFSA's tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for cadmium is 2.5 µg/kg body weight/week, 175 µg a week for 70 kg. Eaten alone, about 120 g a week of Pacific oyster meat would reach it. A 125 g serving a day carries 178.8 µg, 1010% of the median adult's 17.7 µg a day. Background (EFSA 2012 adults 1.77, range 1.50–2.23 µg/kg body weight/week) is shown, not subtracted. · CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · A
- Mollusc allergy · Worth knowing · Flagged for people with a mollusc allergy: Health Canada lists crustaceans and molluscs among the priority food allergens, and oysters are named as molluscs. · Health Canada, Crustaceans and Molluscs - Priority food allergens · A
- Norovirus · Worth knowing · Flagged for anyone eating raw or lightly cooked oysters: norovirus, with no dose figure. PHAC says lightly cooking oysters is not enough; they need 90 °C for at least 90 seconds. From December 2016 to March 2017, 331 cases of gastrointestinal illness were linked to British Columbia oysters (BC 230, Alberta 42, Ontario 59), with no deaths. A second outbreak, mid-March to mid-April 2018, caused 176 cases (BC 137, Alberta 14, Ontario 25), again no deaths, and closed with the cause of contamination not determined. · PHAC 2017 · A
- Paralytic shellfish toxins · Not rated yet · Not rated: EFSA's 2009 acute reference dose (ARfD) for paralytic shellfish toxins is 0.5 µg STX equivalents/kg body weight, 30 µg for a 60 kg adult (35 µg at 70 kg) per sitting. No measured retail occurrence was found, so there is no grams figure, and none is computed at a legal limit. EFSA's own illustration: a 400 g portion at the EU limit of 800 µg/kg would give 320 µg, far over the ARfD. In Canada, control works by harvest-area closure. · EFSA 2009 · A
- Purines and gout · Not rated yet · Not rated for people with gout or hyperuricemia: the only reference is a Japanese dietary recommendation of 400 mg purines a day, seen through Kaneko 2014 rather than an agency document, so no reference is established. Oysters measure 184.5 mg purines per 100 g (HPLC, Kaneko 2014, four purine bases; the species is not stated), so a 125 g serving carries about 231 mg. For scale only, 400 mg would be reached at about 217 g. · Kaneko 2014 · C
- Raw seafood in pregnancy · Worth knowing · Flagged for pregnancy: Health Canada advises avoiding raw oysters, clams and mussels; shellfish cooked until the shell has opened is the safe alternative. · Health Canada 2025 · A
- Vibrio · Worth knowing · Flagged for anyone eating raw or undercooked oysters: Vibrio parahaemolyticus is an acute infection risk, with no dose figure; the agency advice is the finding. In 2015 Canada had 82 cases (British Columbia 60, Alberta 19, Saskatchewan 1, Ontario 2), linked mainly to oysters. PHAC names the at-risk groups: pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, liver disease or low stomach acidity, young children and the elderly. PHAC and Health Canada advise cooking shellfish to an internal temperature of 74 °C (165 °F). The risk does not apply to canned or cooked oysters. · PHAC 2015 · A
Sources
- 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 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) - Kaneko K, et al. (2014) Total purine and purine base content of common foodstuffs for facilitating nutritional therapy for gout and hyperuricemia. Biol Pharm Bull 37(5):709-721 · doi:10.1248/bpb.b13-00967 · PMID 24553148
kaneko-2014-purines· secondary source · J-STAGE open access - 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)
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.