Sardines, canned in oil
Checked by us One serving: 55 g (about 5 sardines) · 114 kcal
Weighed drained. The bit of oil still on it is counted too, so some of the fat and vitamins come from the oil, not the food.
Protein, plus omega-3: EPA + DHA and vitamin B12. Rich in 3 more nutrients: see Good for.
Worth knowing: dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs.
Good for
How we counted this
What one serving (55 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
13.5 g in one serving: 24% of the 56 g a day men need, 29% of the 46 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Listed amount only. 1 absorption study of this nutrient is on file for this food, but none is quoted yet. Each one is in The numbers, with the reason. See the studies
- 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
540 mg in one serving: 216% 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
Vitamin B12
Your body needs it to make red blood cells and keep nerves working.
Learn more
4.92 µg in one serving: 205% 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
Selenium
Your thyroid uses it to make its hormones.
Learn more
29 µg in one serving: 53% 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
5.41 mg in one serving: 34% of the 16 mg a day men need, 39% 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
Calcium
Builds your bones and teeth.
Learn more
210 mg in one serving: 21% 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
16 more nutrients below “a lot”
- Some
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.
2.64 µg in one serving: 18% 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
- Some
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
274 mg in one serving: 17% of the 1,600 mg a day men need, 25% 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
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
0.12 mg in one serving: 9% of the 1.3 mg a day men need, 11% 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 little
Iron
Carries oxygen in your blood.
Learn more
1.61 mg in one serving: 20% of the 8 mg a day men need, 9% 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 little
Choline
Your cells need it for their membranes, and to make acetylcholine, a messenger for memory, mood and muscle control.
Learn more
41.3 mg in one serving: 8% of the 550 mg a day men need, 10% of the 425 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, choline fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin E
Shields the fats in your cells from damage; your immune system uses it too.
Mostly from the canning oil: the same weight packed in water has 0.13 mg.
Learn more
1.12 mg in one serving: 7% of the 15 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin E 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
0.09 mg in one serving: 7% 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
Zinc
Your immune system and healing wounds depend on it.
Learn more
0.72 mg in one serving: 7% of the 11 mg a day men need, 9% 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 little
Potassium
Your nerves, muscles and kidneys need it to work.
Learn more
218 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
Magnesium
Your muscles and nerves need it to work.
Learn more
21.5 mg in one serving: 5% of the 400 mg a day men need, 7% 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
Thiamin (B1)
Your cells use it to get energy from food, and so to grow and work.
Learn more
0.04 mg in one serving: 3% of the 1.2 mg a day men need, 4% 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
Vitamin A
Your eyes need it to see in dim light.
Learn more
Getting enough matters; more than enough doesn’t sharpen your sight.
17.6 µg in one serving: 2% of the 900 µg a day men need, 3% 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
- Almost none
Folate
Your body needs it to make DNA and to divide new cells.
Learn more
5.5 µg in one serving: 1% 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
- Almost none
Vitamin K1
Your blood needs it to clot.
Learn more
1.43 µg in one serving: 1% of the 120 µg a day men need, 2% of the 90 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 K 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
- Almost none
Vitamin C
Your body makes collagen with it, which wounds need to heal. It also helps you absorb iron from plants.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 90 mg a day men need, under 1% 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
Watch out
How we counted this
Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs
Worth knowingAn average adult is already at or past the limit from other food.
Learn more
Flagged for pregnancy, planning a pregnancy and breastfeeding; no cap for other adults. One serving a week is 46% (lower bound; upper bound 57%) of EFSA's 2026 tolerable weekly intake, 0.6 pg WHO 2022 toxic equivalents/kg body weight/week, on Foodtopsy's recalculation of the CFIA results with the 2022 toxic equivalency factors. On CFIA's published 2005 basis, a daily serving is 174% (lower bound) to 199% (upper bound) of EFSA's 2018 tolerable weekly intake of 2 pg/kg body weight/week, and 22% of the JECFA and Health Canada value of 2.3 pg/kg body weight/day. On the 2022 recalculation a daily serving would add 34% to 103% to EFSA's adult average intake of 1.87-5.64 pg/kg body weight/week (the lowest lower-bound to the highest upper-bound adult mean): it would double average intake only at the bottom of that range.
Methylmercury
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 15 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 0.72 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, 7,000 g a week would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 385 g a week, which stays within the 5,700 g of room left before the limit.
Women who are or may become pregnant, and children: 1,100 g a day.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
A daily serving is 5.5% of EFSA's tolerable weekly intake (1.3 µg/kg body weight/week), so no cap. The FDA and EPA list sardines among their 'Best Choices'.
US FDA, Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish (1990-2012) · grade A
Checked for cadmium, histamine and lead: fine at normal amounts.
Cadmium
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 4.4 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 1.65 µg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 9.3% 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 77% of the limit.
An average adult already takes in about 71% 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, 5,800 g a week would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 385 g a week, which stays within the 1,700 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
A daily serving adds 9.3% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap. It is 6.6% of the EFSA tolerable weekly intake of 2.5 µg/kg body weight/week. Against EFSA's lifetime mean (2.04; P95 3.66) or the average of 2.3 a week in EFSA's news release, it adds 8.1% or 7.2%: no cap on any of them.
CFIA, Mercury and Metals in Fish Products 2000-2021 (tuna rows: 7,072; canned 2,388) · grade B
Histamine
Nothing to watchYou’d need more than 100 servings in one meal of this food alone to reach the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 0.22 mg
How we got this
12,000 g in one meal reaches the limit
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
Rated on the dose in one meal: EFSA's 50 mg per person per meal (EFSA 2011, as given in its abstract: "50 mg histamine for healthy individuals, but below detectable limits for those with histamine intolerance"). 55 g at the mean of the positive samples, 4.09 mg/kg, carries 0.22 mg, 0.4% (about 0.2% on the mean of all 30, about 1.5); at the 95th percentile, 20 mg/kg, 2.2%; at 200 mg/kg 22%; at the 657 mg/kg outlier 72%. A compliant can: no flag for healthy adults. People with histamine intolerance, and people taking isoniazid, whose label says to avoid histamine-containing foods such as tuna, keep a separate flag.
Lead
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 63 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the lead an average adult already gets. No dose is known to be safe, so doubling is where we flag.
Learn more
A serving a day adds 1.6% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 0.55 µg
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
+1.6% of EFSA average adult intake (35 µg/day); value rounded to 2 decimals so 0.8-2.4%
CFIA, Mercury and Metals in Fish Products 2000-2021 (tuna rows: 7,072; canned 2,388) · grade B
For some people
Measured, not rated: 115.7 mg purines (fresh basis)
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. Fresh sardine measures 210.4 mg purines per 100 g (HPLC, Kaneko 2014, four purine bases); no canned figure was found, so the fresh value stands in, and a 55 g serving carries about 116 mg. For scale only, 400 mg would be reached at about 190 g.
Worth knowing
No limit applies, so none is rated.
Cholesterol
78 mg in a 55 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
Sugar
0 g of sugar in a 55 g serving, natural and added together.
Learn more
Shown, not rated. The food tables we read give total sugar, and few give added sugar, so the site can’t yet tell sugar added in making a food from the sugar in fruit or milk.
Also measured in it
Figures from the dataset. None has a limit to be rated against, so none is a verdict.
Tyramine: 0.95 mg per kg fresh weight, so about 0.052 mg in a 55 g serving. (mean 0.95 · standard deviation 0.4 · 0% below the detection limit) · Qu Y, Wang J, Liu Z, Wang X, Zhou H · grade A
For scale, EFSA found no reported ill effects at 6 mg of tyramine in a meal for people on the older MAO-inhibitor antidepressants, 50 mg for those on the newer ones and 600 mg for healthy people not taking them, based on limited data. EFSA 2011
Also checked (nothing to act on) · 1
Noted for context, or not measured in this food yet.
Not measured in this food yet. Cannot rate: inorganic fraction not found
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, 55 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 omega-3: EPA + DHA
Mackerel, cooked662 mg in 55 g (this food: 540 mg)Worth knowing: dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs · this food has it too
More vitamin B12
- Mackerel, cooked10.5 µg in 55 g (this food: 4.92 µg)Worth knowing: dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs · this food has it too
Sardines, canned in water5.94 µg in 55 g (this food: 4.92 µg)Worth knowing: dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs · this food has it too
Amounts as listed, not adjusted for how much gets in.
For protein: no other main-dish proteins we’ve checked give clearly more, in the same 55 g.
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.
Light tuna, canned in water- 50 kcal in 55 g (this food: 114)
- More selenium (37.3 µg vs 29 µg)
- More niacin (7.49 mg vs 5.41 mg)
- Less omega-3: EPA + DHA (122 mg vs 540 mg)
- Less vitamin B12 (1.41 µg vs 4.92 µg)
Shrimp, cooked- 65 kcal in 55 g (this food: 114)
- Less vitamin B12 (0.91 µg vs 4.92 µg)
- Less omega-3: EPA + DHA (152 mg vs 540 mg)
Cod, baked- 58 kcal in 55 g (this food: 114)
- Less omega-3: EPA + DHA (86.9 mg vs 540 mg)
- Less vitamin B12 (0.58 µg vs 4.92 µg)
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 20 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: Farmed salmon, cooked (Histamine: go easy).
Left out: Clams, cooked (Cadmium: limit it).
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: Sardines, canned in oil, drained, with bones
How the serving was set: 55 g (Health Canada I.4, marine and fresh water animals, canned; fraction can (55 g))
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 | 0.498 g | 0.27 g | 0.24 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Calcium | 382 mg | 210.1 mg | 183.65 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 500 mg | 275 mg | 240.38 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| 382 mg | 210.1 mg | 183.65 mg | copy of USDA · not used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #3203 | C | |
| Carbohydrate | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Choline | 75 mg | 41.25 mg | 36.06 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Energy | 208 kcal | 114.4 kcal | – | FDC Energy (kcal) used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) | – |
| Omega-3: EPA + DHA | 0.982 g | 0.54 g | 0.47 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Fat | 11.45 g | 6.3 g | 5.5 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 14.1 g | 7.76 g | 6.78 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Cholesterol | 142 mg | 78.1 mg | 68.27 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 1.528 g | 0.84 g | 0.73 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Fibre | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Folate | 10 µg | 5.5 µg | 4.81 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 8 µg | 4.4 µg | 3.85 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Iron | 2.92 mg | 1.61 mg | 1.4 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 2.3 mg | 1.27 mg | 1.11 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Magnesium | 39 mg | 21.45 mg | 18.75 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 46 mg | 25.3 mg | 22.12 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents) | 9.845 mg | 5.41 mg | 4.73 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #3203 | C |
| Phosphorus | 490 mg | 269.5 mg | 235.58 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 520 mg | 286 mg | 250 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Potassium | 397 mg | 218.35 mg | 190.87 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 410 mg | 225.5 mg | 197.12 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Protein | 24.62 g | 13.54 g | 11.84 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 23.3 g | 12.82 g | 11.2 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.227 mg | 0.12 mg | 0.11 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 0.29 mg | 0.16 mg | 0.14 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Selenium | 52.7 µg | 28.99 µg | 25.34 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 49 µg | 26.95 µg | 23.56 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Sodium | 307 mg | 168.85 mg | 147.6 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 400 mg | 220 mg | 192.31 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Sugars | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.08 mg | 0.04 mg | 0.04 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 0.01 mg | 0.01 mg | 0 mg | second database · not used · 8× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Vitamin A | 32 µg | 17.6 µg | 15.38 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Vitamin B12 | 8.94 µg | 4.92 µg | 4.3 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 15 µg | 8.25 µg | 7.21 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.167 mg | 0.09 mg | 0.08 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 0.18 mg | 0.1 mg | 0.09 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Vitamin D | 4.8 µg | 2.64 µg | 2.31 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 3.6 µg | 1.98 µg | 1.73 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Vitamin E | 2.04 mg | 1.12 mg | 0.98 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 0.52 mg | 0.29 mg | 0.25 mg | second database · not used · 3.9× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Vitamin K1 | 2.6 µg | 1.43 µg | 1.25 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Water | 59.61 g | 32.79 g | 28.66 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 58.6 g | 32.23 g | 28.17 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Zinc | 1.31 mg | 0.72 mg | 0.63 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 2.2 mg | 1.21 mg | 1.06 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C |
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-carotene | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Copper | 0.186 mg | 0.1 mg | 0.09 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 0.11 mg | 0.06 mg | 0.05 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Ash | 3.38 g | 1.86 g | 1.63 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Caffeine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Theobromine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Energy | 871 kj | 479.05 kj | 418.75 kj | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Vitamin A, IU | 108 iu | 59.4 iu | 51.92 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Carotene, alpha | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 193 iu | 106.15 iu | 92.79 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) | 4.8 µg | 2.64 µg | 2.31 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Folate, food | 10 µg | 5.5 µg | 4.81 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Folate, DFE | 10 µg | 5.5 µg | 4.81 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Tryptophan | 0.276 g | 0.15 g | 0.13 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Threonine | 1.079 g | 0.59 g | 0.52 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Isoleucine | 1.134 g | 0.62 g | 0.55 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Leucine | 2.001 g | 1.1 g | 0.96 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Lysine | 2.26 g | 1.24 g | 1.09 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Methionine | 0.729 g | 0.4 g | 0.35 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Cystine | 0.264 g | 0.15 g | 0.13 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Phenylalanine | 0.961 g | 0.53 g | 0.46 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Tyrosine | 0.831 g | 0.46 g | 0.4 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Valine | 1.268 g | 0.7 g | 0.61 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Arginine | 1.473 g | 0.81 g | 0.71 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Histidine | 0.725 g | 0.4 g | 0.35 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Alanine | 1.489 g | 0.82 g | 0.72 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Aspartic acid | 2.52 g | 1.39 g | 1.21 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Glutamic acid | 3.674 g | 2.02 g | 1.77 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Glycine | 1.181 g | 0.65 g | 0.57 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Proline | 0.87 g | 0.48 g | 0.42 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Serine | 1.004 g | 0.55 g | 0.48 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Vitamin E, added | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| SFA 4:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| SFA 6:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| SFA 8:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| SFA 10:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| SFA 12:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.192 g | 0.11 g | 0.09 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.993 g | 0.55 g | 0.48 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.343 g | 0.19 g | 0.16 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| MUFA 18:1 | 2.145 g | 1.18 g | 1.03 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| PUFA 18:2 | 3.543 g | 1.95 g | 1.7 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.498 g | 0.27 g | 0.24 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0.509 g | 0.28 g | 0.24 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.22 g | 0.12 g | 0.11 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0.125 g | 0.07 g | 0.06 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.423 g | 0.23 g | 0.2 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.473 g | 0.26 g | 0.23 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| MUFA 22:1 | 1.081 g | 0.59 g | 0.52 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 3.869 g | 2.13 g | 1.86 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 5.148 g | 2.83 g | 2.47 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| Manganese | 0.108 mg | 0.06 mg | 0.05 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 0.19 mg | 0.1 mg | 0.09 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Niacin (B3, preformed) | 5.245 mg | 2.88 mg | 2.52 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 6.9 mg | 3.8 mg | 3.32 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.642 mg | 0.35 mg | 0.31 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 0.89 mg | 0.49 mg | 0.43 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C | |
| Retinol | 32 µg | 17.6 µg | 15.38 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #175139 | C |
| 11 µg | 6.05 µg | 5.29 µg | second database · not used · 2.9× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #16-440 | C |
Change the amount to rescale the first column. Nutrients a database doesn't list are missing, not zero.
Absorption studies
Studies of how much of a nutrient gets in; those done in animals are marked. This page quotes a figure only from a study that passes our screen: adults, graded A, of this food in this preparation, with a test dose on record and a source that has passed our evidence check. The exception is calcium on our calcium card: its figure comes from the card’s own study, checked with the card, and is marked “used” even where that study misses a step of this screen. The others are listed so nothing is hidden, each with the first check it fails.
No study of this food passes the screen yet, so no absorption figure is quoted.
| Study | Nutrient | Absorbed | Test dose | People | Grade | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgkinson et al. 2025: sardines (pig) animal study Sardina pilchardus, Morocco; bones removed: no calcium comparison · Tinned in olive oil (boneless, skinless) · diet protein level not read; ration 0.08 x metabolic body weight (kg^0.75) per day full text read | Protein | 88.9 % | not reported | 6 | B | Not used: we haven’t confirmed how the food was prepared in this study. |
Hazard rows as the dataset rates them
- Cadmium · Nothing to watch: under the limit · A daily serving adds 9.3% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap. It is 6.6% of the EFSA tolerable weekly intake of 2.5 µg/kg body weight/week. Against EFSA's lifetime mean (2.04; P95 3.66) or the average of 2.3 a week in EFSA's news release, it adds 8.1% or 7.2%: no cap on any of them. · CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · B
- Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs · Worth knowing · Flagged for pregnancy, planning a pregnancy and breastfeeding; no cap for other adults. One serving a week is 46% (lower bound; upper bound 57%) of EFSA's 2026 tolerable weekly intake, 0.6 pg WHO 2022 toxic equivalents/kg body weight/week, on Foodtopsy's recalculation of the CFIA results with the 2022 toxic equivalency factors. On CFIA's published 2005 basis, a daily serving is 174% (lower bound) to 199% (upper bound) of EFSA's 2018 tolerable weekly intake of 2 pg/kg body weight/week, and 22% of the JECFA and Health Canada value of 2.3 pg/kg body weight/day. On the 2022 recalculation a daily serving would add 34% to 103% to EFSA's adult average intake of 1.87-5.64 pg/kg body weight/week (the lowest lower-bound to the highest upper-bound adult mean): it would double average intake only at the bottom of that range. · CFIA dioxins survey (2014–2019) · A
- Fish allergy · Worth knowing · Fish is a Health Canada priority allergen · Health Canada, priority allergens · A
- Histamine · Nothing to watch: under the limit · Rated on the dose in one meal: EFSA's 50 mg per person per meal (EFSA 2011, as given in its abstract: "50 mg histamine for healthy individuals, but below detectable limits for those with histamine intolerance"). 55 g at the mean of the positive samples, 4.09 mg/kg, carries 0.22 mg, 0.4% (about 0.2% on the mean of all 30, about 1.5); at the 95th percentile, 20 mg/kg, 2.2%; at 200 mg/kg 22%; at the 657 mg/kg outlier 72%. A compliant can: no flag for healthy adults. People with histamine intolerance, and people taking isoniazid, whose label says to avoid histamine-containing foods such as tuna, keep a separate flag. · Tunc 2025 · A
- Inorganic arsenic · Not rated yet · Cannot rate: inorganic fraction not found · CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021)
- Lead · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · +1.6% of EFSA average adult intake (35 µg/day); value rounded to 2 decimals so 0.8-2.4% · CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · B
- Methylmercury · Nothing to watch: under the limit · A daily serving is 5.5% of EFSA's tolerable weekly intake (1.3 µg/kg body weight/week), so no cap. The FDA and EPA list sardines among their 'Best Choices'. · FDA 1990–2012 · 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. Fresh sardine measures 210.4 mg purines per 100 g (HPLC, Kaneko 2014, four purine bases); no canned figure was found, so the fresh value stands in, and a 55 g serving carries about 116 mg. For scale only, 400 mg would be reached at about 190 g. · Kaneko 2014 · C
Oxalate, phytate and gut-tolerance measurements
- histamine: mean 4.09 +/- 0.32 SE of the 11 positive samples (Table 1: N (Positive) = 30 (11)); range 2.51 to 5.50 of the positives; 19 of 30 not detected mg/kg · fresh weight (as sold, canned) · canned sardine, packing medium not stated · grade A · Tunc 2025
- histamine: category 'preserved and semi-preserved fish' n=151: mean 10.03 (standard deviation 53.32), P95 20.39, ND to 657.05; the 657 is one canned sardine mg/kg · fresh weight · preserved and semi-preserved fish, Spanish retail (category) · grade B · Sanchezperez 2021
- histamine: not detected mg/kg · wet weight · canned, at month 0 of storage (as sold) · grade A · Qu Y, Wang J, Liu Z, Wang X, Zhou H
- histamine: mean 17.38 · standard deviation 2.01 · 0% below the detection limit mg/kg · wet weight · canned, after 12 months of storage at 4 C (store-shelf abuse test) · grade A · Qu Y, Wang J, Liu Z, Wang X, Zhou H
- histamine: mean 25.39 · standard deviation 2.96 · 0% below the detection limit mg/kg · wet weight · canned, after 12 months of storage at 10 C (store-shelf abuse test) · grade A · Qu Y, Wang J, Liu Z, Wang X, Zhou H
- histamine: mean 37.86 · standard deviation 4.83 · 0% below the detection limit mg/kg · wet weight · canned, after 12 months of storage at 25 C (store-shelf abuse test) · grade A · Qu Y, Wang J, Liu Z, Wang X, Zhou H
- histamine: mean 46.29 · standard deviation 3.01 · 0% below the detection limit mg/kg · wet weight · canned, after 12 months of storage at 30 C (store-shelf abuse test) · grade A · Qu Y, Wang J, Liu Z, Wang X, Zhou H
- histamine: mean 4.09 · range 2.51–5.5 · 63.3% below the detection limit · 36.7% positive · n 30 mg/kg · as sold (canned) · canned sardine, as sold, supermarket Ankara · grade A · Tunc 2025
- histamine: not detected (n 1) mg/kg · as sold (canned) · canned sardine, as sold, Slovenia · grade A · Kocar 2021
- histamine: mean 10.03 · standard deviation 53.32 · max 657.05 · n 151 mg/kg · fresh weight · preserved and semi-preserved fish (category that includes canned sardines) · grade B · Sanchezperez 2021
- lactose: 0 g/100 g · as listed · Fish, sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained solids with bone · grade B · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)
- lactose: 0 g/100 g · as listed · Sardines, canned, olive oil, drained · grade B · UK food tables (CoFID 2021)
- tyramine: mean 0.95 · standard deviation 0.4 · 0% below the detection limit mg/kg · wet weight · canned, at month 0 of storage (as sold) · grade A · Qu Y, Wang J, Liu Z, Wang X, Zhou H
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 (tuna rows: 7,072; canned 2,388)
cfia-fish-metals-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 - Public Health England, Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID) 2021
cofid-2021· dataset · Open Government Licence v3.0 - US FDA, Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish (1990-2012)
fda-mercury-1990-2012· page · US government work (17 USC 105), public domain - USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, 2018-04
fdc-sr-legacy-2018-04· dataset · CC0 1.0 (public domain) - Health Canada, Common food allergens (priority allergens list)
hc-priority-allergens· 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 - Kocar D, Kose S, Koral S, Tufan B, Scavnicar A, et al. Analysis of biogenic amines using immunoassays, HPLC, and a newly developed IC-MS/MS technique in fish products: a comparative study. Molecules 2021;26(20):6156. · doi:10.3390/molecules26206156 · PMID 34684737
kocar2021· full text read · CC BY 4.0 - Hodgkinson SM, Stroebinger N, Stein HH, Fanelli NS, de Vries S, van der Wielen N, et al. True ileal amino acid digestibility of human foods classified according to food type as determined in the growing pig. J Nutr 2025;155:3384-3400. · doi:10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.08.004 · PMID 40812478
pq_hodgkinson2025· full text read · CC BY (Europe PMC licence field) - Qu Y, Wang J, Liu Z, Wang X, Zhou H. Effect of storage temperature and time on biogenic amines in canned seafood. Foods 2022;11(18):2743. · doi:10.3390/foods11182743 · PMID 36140871
qu2022· full text read · CC BY 4.0 - Sánchez-Pérez S et al. 2021, Nutrients 13:1395, Table 1 (histamine)
sanchezperez2021· full text read · CC BY 4.0 - Tunç S, Demirhan B, Er Demirhan BE. Investigation of Histamine, Physicochemical Quality, and Potential Health Risks in Various Canned Fish Products. Foods 2025;14(13):2314 · doi:10.3390/foods14132314
tunc2025· full text read · not checked
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.