Food safety
What can come with a food, rated by how much of it you’d eat, not by whether it’s there. Most everyday foods are nowhere near a limit. These are the ones worth knowing.
What the badges and the other words mean
Worth knowing
Mercury in fish
Which fish to watch
The one to watch: canned albacore (white) tuna. About 210 g takes an average adult to the weekly limit, counting what they already eat (250 g if it were the only source). The rest stay under it at a serving a day. The closest, Mussels, cooked, uses up about 83% of the room left.
On the evidence card, each food eaten alone, from zero: Reaching the mercury limit takes about 7 kg of canned sardines in a week, or 91 g of swordfish (FDA's survey; swordfish isn't one of our reviewed foods). Most of the fish people actually eat sits far below the line.
Arsenic in rice
No safe level known
No intake of inorganic arsenic is known to be safe, so there is no limit to count grams up to. The one that stands out: Brown rice, cooked. A daily serving adds 52–260%, depending on how much you already take in. Also white rice: 40–200%. 1 more rated food stands out the same way: Breakfast cereal (EFSA 2021, rice flakes), 35–176%. The other rated foods and preparations add 37% or less. For the other foods, all their arsenic is counted as the inorganic kind.
Every food · No evidence card yet
Cadmium
The dose, not the presence
The one to watch: Pacific oysters, raw. About 36 g takes an average adult to the weekly limit, counting what they already eat (120 g if it were the only source). Also Oysters, canned, at about 36 g on the same count.
On the evidence card, each food eaten alone, from zero: About 1.6 kg of raw spinach a week, eaten alone, reaches the cadmium limit; about 120 g of Pacific oysters does, less than one serving.
Acrylamide
How you cook it matters
The same potato, baked, carries at least four times the acrylamide of the boiled one. Dark toast carries about 3.7 times the same brand's untoasted slice, in Health Canada's sample. Restaurant fries are the one food here where a single serving can add more than an average adult's whole day.
Every hazard we track
142 in allGrouped by how each is judged; each links to every reviewed food that carries it.
Measured hazard data covers reviewed foods only: 159 of the 159 carry at least one row.
1,842 imported foods carry category defaults instead: hazards flagged from their food group, not measured in the food, shown on each food’s page.
Builds up over time
Agencies set an amount you can take in every week, or every day, for life. A food measured against it shows the grams that reach it.
- CadmiumWatch: Pacific oysters, raw, about 36 g in a week, after average intakeThe limit: 2.5 µg/kg body weight/week156 reviewed foods · 149 rated by dose
- NickelClosest: Cashews, raw, about 100 g in a day, after average intakeThe limit: 13 µg/kg body weight/day72 reviewed foods · 70 rated by dose
- AluminumWatch: Cakes, about 380 g in a week, eaten aloneThe limit: 1 mg/kg body weight/week51 reviewed foods · 51 rated by dose
- Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBsAverage intake is already past the limitThe limit: 0.6 pg WHO 2022 toxic equivalents/kg body weight/week29 reviewed foods
- Glyphosate residuesNo amount anyone really eats reaches itThe limit: 0.5 mg/kg body weight/day16 reviewed foods · 11 rated by dose
- MethylmercuryWatch: canned albacore (white) tuna, about 210 g in a week, after average intakeThe limit: 1.3 µg/kg body weight/week13 reviewed foods · 13 rated by dose
- Deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin)Closest: whole-wheat bread, about 160 g in a day, after average intakeThe limit: 1 µg/kg body weight/day11 reviewed foods · 11 rated by dose
- 3-MCPD and its estersClosest: Cakes, about 660 g in a day, after average intakeThe limit: 2 µg/kg body weight/day11 reviewed foods · 11 rated by dose
- Added phosphatesClosest: Processed cheese slices, about 440 g in a day, eaten aloneThe limit: 40 mg P/kg body weight/day7 reviewed foods · 4 rated by dose
- CaffeineClosest: Espresso, about 190 g in a day, eaten aloneThe limit: 400 mg/day6 reviewed foods · 6 rated by dose
- Bisphenol A (BPA)Average intake is already past the limitThe limit: 0.2 ng/kg body weight/day4 reviewed foods
- CopperWatch: Beef liver, pan-fried, about 34 g in a day, eaten aloneThe limit: 0.07 mg/kg body weight/day4 reviewed foods · 4 rated by dose
- FumonisinsClosest: corn tortillas, about 190 g in a day, eaten aloneThe limit: 1 µg/kg body weight/day4 reviewed foods · 3 rated by dose
- NitriteClosest: Ham, sliced, about 680 g in a day, eaten aloneThe limit: 0.07 mg nitrite ion/kg body weight/day4 reviewed foods · 2 rated by dose
- Acesulfame potassiumNo amount anyone really eats reaches itThe limit: 15 mg/kg body weight/day2 reviewed foods · 1 rated by dose
- BenzeneNo amount anyone really eats reaches itThe limit: 0.36 µg/kg body weight/day2 reviewed foods · 1 rated by dose
- Caramel colourFlagged, not rated by doseThe limit: 300 mg/kg body weight/day2 reviewed foods
- PatulinFlagged, not rated by doseThe limit: 0.4 µg/kg body weight/day2 reviewed foods
- PhthalatesRated by dose: none past the limit at one servingThe limit: 50 µg/kg body weight/day2 reviewed foods · 1 rated by dose
- SucraloseFlagged, not rated by doseThe limit: 15 mg/kg body weight/day2 reviewed foods
- AspartameNo amount anyone really eats reaches itThe limit: 40 mg/kg body weight/day1 reviewed food · 1 rated by dose
- Erucic acidNo amount anyone really eats reaches itThe limit: 7 mg/kg body weight/day1 reviewed food · 1 rated by dose
- T-2 and HT-2 toxinsClosest: Oat drink, unsweetened, fortified, about 1.3 kg in a day, eaten aloneThe limit: 0.02 µg/kg body weight/day1 reviewed food · 1 rated by dose
The agency’s reference value for each hazard. Most are set per kilogram of body weight; the grams assume a 70 kg adult.
No safe level known
No intake is known to be harmless, so there’s no limit to count grams up to. Each food shows what a serving adds to an average adult’s intake.
- LeadMost: Dark chocolate, +12% a servingReference point, not a limit: 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day157 reviewed foods · 142 rated by dose
- Ochratoxin AMost: Raisins, +12–45% a servingReference point, not a limit: 14.5 µg/kg body weight/day27 reviewed foods · 19 rated by dose
- AcrylamideStands out: French fries, restaurant, +47–105% a servingReference point, not a limit: 0.17 mg/kg body weight/day22 reviewed foods · 21 rated by dose
- AflatoxinsStands out: Pistachios, dry-roasted, +38–564% a servingReference point, not a limit: 0.4 µg/kg body weight/day21 reviewed foods · 15 rated by dose
- Inorganic arsenicStands out: Brown rice, cooked, +52–260% a servingReference point, not a limit: 0.06 µg/kg body weight/day19 reviewed foods · 5 rated by dose
- Glycidyl esters (glycidol)Most: French fries, restaurant, +39–59% a servingReference point, not a limit: 10.2 mg/kg body weight/day10 reviewed foods · 8 rated by dose
- N-nitrosaminesFlagged, not rated by doseReference point, not a limit: 10 µg/kg body weight/day5 reviewed foods
- Mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH)Stands out: Coconut oil, +11–158% a servingReference point, not a limit: 0.49 mg/kg body weight/day4 reviewed foods · 2 rated by dose
- PAH4 (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)Flagged, not rated by doseReference point, not a limit: 0.34 mg/kg body weight/day4 reviewed foods
- Pyrrolizidine alkaloidsRated by margin of exposure: none to watchReference point, not a limit: 237 µg/kg body weight/day3 reviewed foods · 1 rated by dose
- FuranStands out: Coffee, brewed, decaffeinated, +25–173% a servingReference point, not a limit: 0.064 mg/kg body weight/day2 reviewed foods · 1 rated by dose
Beside each, the agency’s reference point: a dose linked to an effect in studies, in people or in animals. Not a limit, and not a safe amount. Most are set per kilogram of body weight.
Too much in one go
Harm from one big portion. A food measured against the agency’s dose shows the grams that reach it in one sitting.
- HistamineWatch: cooked farmed salmon, about 200 g in one meal, eaten aloneThe limit: 50 mg per person per meal36 reviewed foods · 18 rated by dose
- Cyanogenic glycosidesWatch: ground flaxseed, about 22 g in one sitting, eaten aloneThe limit: 20 µg CN/kg body weight7 reviewed foods · 3 rated by dose
- Caffeine in one sittingWatch: Coffee, brewed, about 350 g in one sitting, eaten aloneThe limit: 200 mg/sitting5 reviewed foods · 5 rated by dose
- Paralytic shellfish toxinsFlagged, not rated by doseThe limit: 0.5 µg STX equivalents/kg body weight3 reviewed foods
- Amnesic shellfish toxins (domoic acid)Flagged, not rated by doseThe limit: 30 µg domoic acid/kg body weight2 reviewed foods
- Diarrhetic shellfish toxinsFlagged, not rated by doseThe limit: 0.3 µg OA equivalents/kg body weight2 reviewed foods
- Potato glycoalkaloids (solanine)Watch: baked potatoes, about 140 g in one sitting, eaten aloneEffect level behind a working limit: 1 mg total glycoalkaloids/kg body weight2 reviewed foods · 2 rated by dose
- Oxalic acid in rhubarb leavesFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
The agency’s reference value for each hazard. Most are set per kilogram of body weight; the grams assume a 70 kg adult.
Depends how you handle it
Safe one way, risky another: cook it, soak it, boil it or freeze it, as the agency says.
- SalmonellaFlagged, not rated by dose26 reviewed foods
- Safe cooking temperatureFlagged, not rated by dose15 reviewed foods
- Phytohaemagglutinin (raw bean lectins)Flagged, not rated by dose8 reviewed foods
- NorovirusFlagged, not rated by dose5 reviewed foods
- CampylobacterFlagged, not rated by dose4 reviewed foods
- Parasites in raw fishFlagged, not rated by dose3 reviewed foods
- VibrioFlagged, not rated by dose3 reviewed foods
- Bacillus cereusFlagged, not rated by dose2 reviewed foods
- Cucurbitacins (bitter squash)Flagged, not rated by dose2 reviewed foods
- E. coli O157 in undercooked ground meatFlagged, not rated by doseHandling rule, not an intake: 71 °C internal (ground meat)2 reviewed foods
- E. coli (STEC) on raw produceFlagged, not rated by dose2 reviewed foods
- Botulism (foods stored in oil)Flagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Botulism in home fermentsFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Liver fluke (Fasciola)Flagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- TrichinellaFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
A figure here is the agency’s rule for handling the food, such as a cooking temperature, not an amount you eat.
Too much of a nutrient
For a food measured against it: the grams that reach the upper intake level, eaten every day.
- Preformed vitamin A (retinol)Watch: Beef liver, pan-fried, about 39 g in a day, eaten aloneThe limit: 3,000 µg RE/day5 reviewed foods · 5 rated by dose
- ManganeseNo amount anyone really eats reaches itThe limit: 11 mg/day4 reviewed foods · 3 rated by dose
- SeleniumNo amount anyone really eats reaches itThe limit: 255 µg/day4 reviewed foods · 1 rated by dose
- FluorideRated by dose: none past the limit at one servingThe limit: 10 mg/day3 reviewed foods · 3 rated by dose
- ZincWatch: Oysters, canned, about 44 g in a day, eaten aloneThe limit: 40 mg/day2 reviewed foods · 2 rated by dose
- Too much iodineClosest: Cod, baked, about 650 g in a day, eaten aloneThe limit: 1,100 µg/day1 reviewed food · 1 rated by dose
The agency’s reference value for each hazard. Most are set per kilogram of body weight; the grams assume a 70 kg adult.
For some people
Allergies, medicines and medical conditions: a flag for the people the source names, no wider.
- Milk allergyFlagged, not rated by dose24 reviewed foods
- Vitamin K and warfarinFlagged, not rated by dose21 reviewed foods
- Oxalate for kidney-stone formersFlagged, not rated by dose19 reviewed foods
- Purines and goutFlagged, not rated by dose18 reviewed foods
- Gluten (celiac disease)Flagged, not rated by dose9 reviewed foods
- Fish allergyFlagged, not rated by dose9 reviewed foods
- Wheat allergyFlagged, not rated by dose9 reviewed foods
- Nickel for people who are sensitisedFlagged, not rated by doseDose with an effect, not a limit: 4.3 µg/kg body weight (lowest-observed-adverse-effect level (LOAEL), single exposure)8 reviewed foods
- TyramineFlagged, not rated by doseFor some people: 6 mg tyramine per meal8 reviewed foods
- Soy allergyFlagged, not rated by dose7 reviewed foods
- Tree nut allergyFlagged, not rated by dose7 reviewed foods
- Tyramine and MAO inhibitorsFlagged, not rated by dose7 reviewed foods
- Alpha-gal syndromeFlagged, not rated by dose6 reviewed foods
- Grapefruit-type drug interactionsFlagged, not rated by dose5 reviewed foods
- Egg allergyFlagged, not rated by dose5 reviewed foods
- Latex-fruit syndromeFlagged, not rated by dose5 reviewed foods
- SulphitesFlagged, not rated by dose5 reviewed foods
- Mollusc allergyFlagged, not rated by dose4 reviewed foods
- Oral allergy to Rosaceae fruitFlagged, not rated by dose4 reviewed foods
- Potassium-restricted dietsFlagged, not rated by dose4 reviewed foods
- Gluten cross-contactFlagged, not rated by dose3 reviewed foods
- Soy and levothyroxineFlagged, not rated by dose3 reviewed foods
- Sesame allergyFlagged, not rated by dose3 reviewed foods
- Chickpea allergyFlagged, not rated by dose2 reviewed foods
- Dairy and ciprofloxacinFlagged, not rated by dose2 reviewed foods
- Peanut allergyFlagged, not rated by dose2 reviewed foods
- Aspartame and phenylketonuria (PKU)Flagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Celery allergyFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Crustacean allergyFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Flax allergyFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Flaxseed: take with fluidFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Fruit juice and medicinesFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Kiwifruit allergyFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Mustard allergyFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
A figure here applies to the people the hazard is about, not to everyone.
Pregnancy, babies and young children
Stricter agency advice for these stages of life. Gram figures elsewhere on this site count a 70 kg adult, unadjusted for pregnancy, babies or young children; the advice here is the agency’s own for them.
- ListeriaFlagged, not rated by dose20 reviewed foods
- Choking risk under age 4Flagged, not rated by dose18 reviewed foods
- Uncooked frozen vegetablesFlagged, not rated by dose9 reviewed foods
- Caffeine in pregnancyWatch: Coffee, brewed, about 350 g in a day, eaten aloneThe limit: 200 mg/day5 reviewed foods · 5 rated by dose
- Raw seafood in pregnancyFlagged, not rated by dose4 reviewed foods
- Plant-based drinks under 2 yearsFlagged, not rated by dose3 reviewed foods
- Inorganic arsenic for infantsFlagged, not rated by dose2 reviewed foods
- Introducing peanut early to infantsAdvice, not a hazard. Flagged, not rated by dose2 reviewed foods
- Vitamin A in pregnancyFlagged, not rated by dose2 reviewed foods
- Infant botulismFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
A figure here applies to the people the hazard is about, not to everyone.
Background
Shown, not scored: no dose basis at normal intake, a classification rather than a risk, or legal limits only.
- Arsenic, all formsFlagged, not rated by dose68 reviewed foods
- Pesticide residuesFlagged, not rated by dose41 reviewed foods
- NitrateFlagged, not rated by doseReference figure, not scored: 3.7 mg/kg body weight/day25 reviewed foods
- SodiumFlagged, not rated by doseReference figure, not scored: 2,300 mg/day13 reviewed foods
- Charring compoundsFlagged, not rated by dose9 reviewed foods
- Mercury, all formsFlagged, not rated by dose8 reviewed foods
- Dietary cholesterolFlagged, not rated by dose5 reviewed foods
- Trans fatsFlagged, not rated by doseReference figure, not scored: 1 % of total energy5 reviewed foods
- Aflatoxin M1Flagged, not rated by dose4 reviewed foods
- Mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH)Flagged, not rated by dose4 reviewed foods
- Red meat (IARC Group 2A)Flagged, not rated by dose4 reviewed foods
- Processed meat (IARC classification)Flagged, not rated by dose3 reviewed foods
- Uncooked frozen berriesFlagged, not rated by dose3 reviewed foods
- Very hot drinksFlagged, not rated by dose3 reviewed foods
- BPA from can liningsFlagged, not rated by dose2 reviewed foods
- CyclosporaFlagged, not rated by dose2 reviewed foods
- Ethylene oxide residuesFlagged, not rated by dose2 reviewed foods
- Goitrogens (glucosinolates)Flagged, not rated by dose2 reviewed foods
- 4-MEI (from caramel colour)Flagged, not rated by doseReference figure, not scored: 80 mg 4-MEI/kg body weight/day (no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL), mouse)2 reviewed foods
- AgaritineFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Hydroxyanthracenes (anthraquinones)Flagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- BariumFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Biogenic amine indexFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Raw egg white and biotin (avidin)Flagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Watercress PEITC and CYP2E1Flagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Flaxseed in pregnancy and breastfeedingFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- FormaldehydeFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Green tea catechinsFlagged, not rated by doseDose with an effect, not a limit: 800 mg EGCG/day (food supplement)1 reviewed food
- Hepatitis AFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- RadiumFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- SaponinsFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Saturated fatFlagged, not rated by doseReference figure, not scored: 10 % of total energy1 reviewed food
- Glycoalkaloids (nightshades)Flagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Tomato glycoalkaloidsFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
- Veterinary drug residuesFlagged, not rated by dose1 reviewed food
Where a figure is shown here, it is for scale: no food in this group is rated against it.
Not covered, and why
Six with no hazard page here.
- Lactose intolerance. Food pages list lactose where the databases have it, but no page rates it: a review for the US National Institutes of Health (2010) found most people with lactose intolerance can take up to about 12 g at once, with symptoms growing above that, so one cut-off for everyone would mislead.
- Added sugar. The food tables we read give total sugars, and few give added sugars, so the site can’t yet tell sugar added in making a food from the sugar in fruit or milk.
- Alcohol. None of the reviewed foods is an alcoholic drink, so there is nothing to rate.
- Microplastics. No agency has set an intake figure to rate them against, and EFSA (2016) found too little toxicity data for a human risk assessment.
- PFAS (“forever chemicals”). EFSA set a weekly limit in 2020 for four of them, but we haven’t loaded measurements for our foods yet, so no food is rated.
- Phytates. Measured for a few foods (oats, lentils, bread) and shown on their pages, but not rated: no agency sets an intake limit for them. Their best-known effect is to lower how much zinc you absorb from the same meal, which EFSA allows for when it sets zinc needs.