Tahini
Checked by us One serving: 15 g · 89 kcal
Some thiamin and niacin.
Worth knowing: Salmonella. Nothing else to watch for most people so far.
Worth knowing for some people: choking risk under age 4.
Good for
How we counted this
What one serving (15 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.
- Some
Thiamin (B1)
Your cells use it to get energy from food, and so to grow and work.
Learn more
0.18 mg in one serving: 15% of the 1.2 mg a day men need, 16% 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
- Some
Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents)
More than 400 of your enzymes need it to work.
Learn more
1.75 mg in one serving: 11% of the 16 mg a day men need, 13% 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
20 more nutrients at a little or less
- A little
Selenium
Your thyroid uses it to make its hormones.
Learn more
5.16 µg in one serving: 9% 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 little
Iron
Carries oxygen in your blood.
Learn more
1.34 mg in one serving: 17% of the 8 mg a day men need, 7% 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
Calcium
Builds your bones and teeth.
Learn more
63.9 mg in one serving: 6% 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
Zinc
Your immune system and healing wounds depend on it.
Learn more
0.69 mg in one serving: 6% 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
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
0.07 mg in one serving: 5% of the 1.3 mg a day men need, 6% 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
Protein
Your muscles, and every other tissue, are built and repaired from it.
Learn more
2.55 g in one serving: 5% of the 56 g a day men need, 6% 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 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
61.1 mg in one serving: 4% of the 1,600 mg a day men need, 6% 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
Folate
Your body needs it to make DNA and to divide new cells.
Learn more
14.7 µg in one serving: 4% 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
Fibre
Keeps your gut moving.
Learn more
1.4 g in one serving: 4% of the 38 g a day men need, 6% 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
- A little
Magnesium
Your muscles and nerves need it to work.
Learn more
14.3 mg in one serving: 4% of the 400 mg a day men need, 5% 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
62.1 mg in one serving: 2% of the 3,400 mg a day men need, 2% 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
0.02 mg in one serving: 2% 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
- Almost none
Choline
Your cells need it for their membranes, and to make acetylcholine, a messenger for memory, mood and muscle control.
Learn more
3.87 mg in one serving: 1% of the 550 mg a day men need, 1% 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
- Almost none
Vitamin E
Shields the fats in your cells from damage; your immune system uses it too.
Learn more
0.04 mg in one serving: under 1% 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
- Almost none
Vitamin A
Your eyes need it to see in dim light.
Learn more
Getting enough matters; more than enough doesn’t sharpen your sight.
0.45 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 900 µg a day men need, under 1% 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
Omega-3: EPA + DHA
Long-chain omega-3s, built into your cell membranes. DHA is concentrated in your brain and retinas.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% 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
- Almost none
Vitamin B12
Your body needs it to make red blood cells and keep nerves working.
Learn more
0 µg in one serving: under 1% 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
- 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
- Almost none
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 µg in one serving: under 1% 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
Vitamin K1
Your blood needs it to clot.
Learn more
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 120 µg a day men need, under 1% 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
How to handle it
Flag: a handling and sourcing matter, not a dose. Tahini keeps Salmonella through a long shelf life and is eaten uncooked; CDC warned that recalled jars might still be in homes.
Watch out
How we counted this
Aflatoxins
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 4 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the aflatoxins 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 1.8–26% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 4 ng (AFB1, 15 g × 0.265 µg/kg, upper bound)
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
No cap: no safe threshold is set for aflatoxin B1. At the EFSA 2020 upper-bound mean of 0.265 µg/kg (20 results, all below the limit of quantification), a 15.0 g serving is 4.0 ng, 0.057 ng/kg body weight: 12-26% of the lower-bound adult average (0.22-0.49 ng/kg body weight/day) and 1.7-4.2% of the upper-bound average (1.35-3.25), under the doubling line at both ends. Twenty results is a small sample.
Checked for cadmium, acrylamide and lead: fine at normal amounts.
Cadmium
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 5.4 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 1.34 µg (15 g × 89 µg/kg)
How we got this
A serving a day adds 7.5% 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 76% 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, 2,000 g a week would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 105 g a week, which stays within the 570 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
A daily serving adds 7.5% 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.
Acrylamide
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 35 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the acrylamide 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 1.3–2.9% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 0.82 µg (15 g × 54.4 ng/g)
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
No cap: no safe threshold is set for acrylamide. A 15.0 g serving at the CFIA mean of 54.4 µg/kg (12 retail samples, range 37-89, all quantified) carries 0.82 µg, 1.3-2.9% of EFSA's adult mean intake of 0.4-0.9 µg/kg body weight/day (28-63 µg a day at 70 kg), far from doubling. Almond butter in the same survey averages 356 ng/g.
Lead
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 77 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 1.3% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 0.45 µg (15 g × 30 µg/kg)
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
No cap: no safe threshold is set for lead. A 15.0 g serving at 30 µg/kg (CFIA nut and seed products, 2018-19, 470 samples, mean of the 9% quantifiable results only) carries 0.45 µg, 1.3% of EFSA's average adult intake of 35 µg a day, so the mean probably overstates. The category is not sesame-specific, and a study reports that grinding raised lead in tahini over the seed (no numbers in the abstract).
For some people
Flag for children under four, with the mechanism changed: sesame seeds are small and hard; tahini is a sticky paste. The Health Canada infant-feeding page says nut butter 'served alone, or on a spoon, is potentially unsafe' (it names peanut butter) and should be 'thinly spread'.
Worth knowing
No limit applies, so none is rated.
Sugar
0.1 g of sugar in a 15 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 checked (nothing to act on) · 2
Noted for context, or not measured in this food yet.
Not measured in this food yet. Cannot be rated: the EU primary documents (RASFF, Implementing Regulation 2020/1540 on EUR-Lex) were not reachable (empty responses), and no Canadian occurrence data was found. Only a secondary news report that Indian sesame seeds triggered recalls across Europe in 2020.
Context, not rated (no dose for Salmonella). Tahini is the form where the hazard is real: three recalls from the 2011-12 survey, the US outbreak of 2018-19 (below), and CFIA recalls of tahini brands in 2018, 2021 and 2024 (search results; no primary page opened).
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, 15 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
For thiamin: no other toppings we’ve checked give clearly more, in the same 15 g.
For niacin: no other toppings we’ve checked give clearly more, in the same 15 g.
More nutrients per serving, counted together
The other toppings we’ve checked with more nutrients per serving than this one, counting at most 100 kcal. One score ranks them all, so the same few often lead.
Chia seeds, ground and chia seedsMore omega-3: ALA (2,675 mg vs 61.1 mg)
Pumpkin seeds- More magnesium (75 mg vs 14.3 mg)
- Less thiamin (0.04 mg vs 0.18 mg)
Where the calcium card measured that less calcium gets in than from milk, calcium counts for less; everything else is as listed.
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.
- Chia seeds, ground and chia seedsMore omega-3: ALA (2,675 mg vs 61.1 mg)
- Pumpkin seeds
- More magnesium (75 mg vs 14.3 mg)
- Less thiamin (0.04 mg vs 0.18 mg)
Building muscle: more protein and more calories, per 100 g.
Almonds, dry-roasted would lead this list, but it’s left out (Aflatoxins: go easy).
Why some foods aren’t suggested
Left out: Almonds, dry-roasted (Aflatoxins: go easy).
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: Tahini (sesame butter), from roasted and toasted kernels
How the serving was set: 15 g (Health Canada TRA O.3, 'Peanut butter, nut butters and substitutes ... including tahini'; 1 tbsp = 15 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 | 0.407 g | 0.06 g | 0.07 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Calcium | 426 mg | 63.9 mg | 71.6 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| 426 mg | 63.9 mg | 71.6 mg | copy of USDA · not used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #2593 | C | |
| Carbohydrate | 21.19 g | 3.18 g | 3.56 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Choline | 25.8 mg | 3.87 mg | 4.34 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Energy | 595 kcal | 89.25 kcal | – | FDC Energy (kcal) used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) | – |
| Omega-3: EPA + DHA | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Fat | 53.76 g | 8.06 g | 9.04 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 7.529 g | 1.13 g | 1.27 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Fibre | 9.3 g | 1.4 g | 1.56 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Folate | 98 µg | 14.7 µg | 16.47 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Iron | 8.95 mg | 1.34 mg | 1.5 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Magnesium | 95 mg | 14.25 mg | 15.97 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents) | 11.65 mg | 1.75 mg | 1.96 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #2593 | C |
| Phosphorus | 732 mg | 109.8 mg | 123.03 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Potassium | 414 mg | 62.1 mg | 69.58 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Protein | 17 g | 2.55 g | 2.86 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.473 mg | 0.07 mg | 0.08 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Selenium | 34.4 µg | 5.16 µg | 5.78 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Sodium | 115 mg | 17.25 mg | 19.33 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Sugars | 0.49 g | 0.07 g | 0.08 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Thiamin (B1) | 1.22 mg | 0.18 mg | 0.21 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Vitamin A | 3 µg | 0.45 µg | 0.5 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.149 mg | 0.02 mg | 0.03 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Vitamin E | 0.25 mg | 0.04 mg | 0.04 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Vitamin K1 | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Water | 3.05 g | 0.46 g | 0.51 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Zinc | 4.62 mg | 0.69 mg | 0.78 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-carotene | 40 µg | 6 µg | 6.72 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Copper | 1.61 mg | 0.24 mg | 0.27 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Ash | 5 g | 0.75 g | 0.84 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Caffeine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Theobromine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Energy | 2,489 kj | 373.35 kj | 418.32 kj | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Vitamin A, IU | 67 iu | 10.05 iu | 11.26 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Carotene, alpha | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 0 iu | 0 iu | 0 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Folate, food | 98 µg | 14.7 µg | 16.47 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Folate, DFE | 98 µg | 14.7 µg | 16.47 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Tryptophan | 0.372 g | 0.06 g | 0.06 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Threonine | 0.706 g | 0.11 g | 0.12 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Isoleucine | 0.731 g | 0.11 g | 0.12 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Leucine | 1.302 g | 0.2 g | 0.22 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Lysine | 0.545 g | 0.08 g | 0.09 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Methionine | 0.561 g | 0.08 g | 0.09 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Cystine | 0.343 g | 0.05 g | 0.06 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Phenylalanine | 0.901 g | 0.14 g | 0.15 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Tyrosine | 0.712 g | 0.11 g | 0.12 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Valine | 0.95 g | 0.14 g | 0.16 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Arginine | 2.521 g | 0.38 g | 0.42 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Histidine | 0.5 g | 0.08 g | 0.08 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Alanine | 0.889 g | 0.13 g | 0.15 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Aspartic acid | 1.578 g | 0.24 g | 0.27 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Glutamic acid | 3.792 g | 0.57 g | 0.64 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Glycine | 1.165 g | 0.17 g | 0.2 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Proline | 0.776 g | 0.12 g | 0.13 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Serine | 0.927 g | 0.14 g | 0.16 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Vitamin E, added | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| SFA 4:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| SFA 6:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| SFA 8:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| SFA 10:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| SFA 12:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.134 g | 0.02 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| SFA 16:0 | 4.807 g | 0.72 g | 0.81 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| SFA 18:0 | 2.262 g | 0.34 g | 0.38 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| MUFA 18:1 | 20.045 g | 3.01 g | 3.37 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| PUFA 18:2 | 23.133 g | 3.47 g | 3.89 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.407 g | 0.06 g | 0.07 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.161 g | 0.02 g | 0.03 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.075 g | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 20.302 g | 3.05 g | 3.41 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 23.564 g | 3.53 g | 3.96 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Manganese | 1.456 mg | 0.22 mg | 0.24 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Niacin (B3, preformed) | 5.45 mg | 0.82 mg | 0.92 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.693 mg | 0.1 mg | 0.12 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | C |
| Retinol | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170189 | 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
- Acrylamide · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · No cap: no safe threshold is set for acrylamide. A 15.0 g serving at the CFIA mean of 54.4 µg/kg (12 retail samples, range 37-89, all quantified) carries 0.82 µg, 1.3-2.9% of EFSA's adult mean intake of 0.4-0.9 µg/kg body weight/day (28-63 µg a day at 70 kg), far from doubling. Almond butter in the same survey averages 356 ng/g. · CFIA 2013–2015 · A
- Aflatoxins · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · No cap: no safe threshold is set for aflatoxin B1. At the EFSA 2020 upper-bound mean of 0.265 µg/kg (20 results, all below the limit of quantification), a 15.0 g serving is 4.0 ng, 0.057 ng/kg body weight: 12-26% of the lower-bound adult average (0.22-0.49 ng/kg body weight/day) and 1.7-4.2% of the upper-bound average (1.35-3.25), under the doubling line at both ends. Twenty results is a small sample. · EFSA 2020 · B
- Cadmium · Nothing to watch: under the limit · A daily serving adds 7.5% 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. · CFIA 2018–2019 · B
- Choking risk under age 4 · Worth knowing · Flag for children under four, with the mechanism changed: sesame seeds are small and hard; tahini is a sticky paste. The Health Canada infant-feeding page says nut butter 'served alone, or on a spoon, is potentially unsafe' (it names peanut butter) and should be 'thinly spread'. · Health Canada, Nutrition for Healthy Term Infants: Recommendations… · B
- Ethylene oxide residues · Not rated yet · Cannot be rated: the EU primary documents (RASFF, Implementing Regulation 2020/1540 on EUR-Lex) were not reachable (empty responses), and no Canadian occurrence data was found. Only a secondary news report that Indian sesame seeds triggered recalls across Europe in 2020. · Foodsafetynews 2020 · B
- Lead · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · No cap: no safe threshold is set for lead. A 15.0 g serving at 30 µg/kg (CFIA nut and seed products, 2018-19, 470 samples, mean of the 9% quantifiable results only) carries 0.45 µg, 1.3% of EFSA's average adult intake of 35 µg a day, so the mean probably overstates. The category is not sesame-specific, and a study reports that grinding raised lead in tahini over the seed (no numbers in the abstract). · CFIA 2018–2019 · B
- Salmonella · Context · Context, not rated (no dose for Salmonella). Tahini is the form where the hazard is real: three recalls from the 2011-12 survey, the US outbreak of 2018-19 (below), and CFIA recalls of tahini brands in 2018, 2021 and 2024 (search results; no primary page opened). · CFIA 2011–2012 · A
- Salmonella · Worth knowing · Flag: a handling and sourcing matter, not a dose. Tahini keeps Salmonella through a long shelf life and is eaten uncooked; CDC warned that recalled jars might still be in homes. · CDC 2019 · A
- Sesame allergy · Worth knowing · Flagged for people with a sesame allergy: sesame is a Health Canada priority allergen that can cause anaphylaxis, and tahini is ground sesame, so the allergen is at full strength. No dose figure is claimed. · Health Canada, priority allergens · A
Sources
- CDC, Outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to tahini (Salmonella Concord), final update 27 February 2019 (archived page)
cdc-salmonella-concord-tahini-2019· secondary source · US government work (public domain) - CFIA, FSAP Targeted Survey – Acrylamide 2013–2015
cfia-acrylamide-2013-2015· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - CFIA, Pesticides and Metals in Selected Foods, April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019 (targeted survey report; Table 3, nut/seed products n = 470)
cfia-metals-2018-2019· page · Government of Canada terms (not checked; Open Government Licence not confirmed for the report page) - CFIA, 2011-2012 Salmonella and Generic E. coli in Tahini and Sesame Seeds
cfia-salmonella-sesame-tahini-2011-2012· page · Government of Canada terms (not checked) - Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File 2026 (14th edition)
cnf-2026· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - EFSA (2020) Annexes to the risk assessment of aflatoxins in food, Annex B (occurrence tables), Zenodo · doi:10.5281/zenodo.3607186
efsa-2020-aflatoxins-annex· dataset · CC BY 4.0 - USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, 2018-04
fdc-sr-legacy-2018-04· dataset · CC0 1.0 (public domain) - Food Safety News, Multi-country recalls due to ethylene oxide in sesame seeds, 2020-09-30
foodsafetynews-eto-sesame-2020· page · Publisher copyright - Health Canada, Nutrition for Healthy Term Infants: Recommendations from Six to 24 Months
hc-infant-nutrition-6-24-months· page · Government of Canada terms (Crown copyright; not OGL) - Health Canada, Common food allergens (priority allergens list)
hc-priority-allergens· page · Government of Canada terms (Crown copyright; not OGL)
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.