Vitamin B12 Foods Chart
Vitamin B12 per 100 g and per 100 kcal, ranked. Animal foods and fortified products are essentially the only sources — which is why the plant rows here are short.
No upper limit has been set for vitamin B12 (National Academies): the large %DV figures here reflect very B12-dense foods, not a toxicity concern from food.
| Food | Per 100 g | Per 100 kcal | %DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clams (cooked) | 98.9 mcg | 66.8 mcg | 4120% DV |
| Mussels (cooked) | 24.0 mcg | 14.0 mcg | 1000% DV |
| Mackerel (cooked) | 19.0 mcg | 7.3 mcg | 792% DV |
| Oysters (cooked) | 17.5 mcg | 17.2 mcg | 729% DV |
| Anchovies (canned) | 12.7 mcg | 6.0 mcg | 527% DV |
| Sardines (canned, drained) | 8.9 mcg | 4.3 mcg | 372% DV |
| Cheerios (plain) | 6.8 mcg | 1.8 mcg | 282% DV |
| Corn flakes | 5.4 mcg | 1.4 mcg | 223% DV |
| Frosted Flakes | 4.8 mcg | 1.2 mcg | 202% DV |
| Trout (cooked) | 4.1 mcg | 2.4 mcg | 171% DV |
| Crab (cooked) | 3.3 mcg | 4.0 mcg | 139% DV |
| Smoked salmon | 3.3 mcg | 2.8 mcg | 136% DV |
| Swiss cheese | 3.0 mcg | 0.8 mcg | 126% DV |
| Canned tuna (in water) | 3.0 mcg | 2.6 mcg | 125% DV |
| Waffles | 2.9 mcg | 1.0 mcg | 122% DV |
| Salmon (cooked) | 2.8 mcg | 1.4 mcg | 117% DV |
| Catfish (cooked) | 2.8 mcg | 1.9 mcg | 116% DV |
| Lamb loin (cooked) | 2.6 mcg | 1.3 mcg | 108% DV |
| Ground beef (90% lean, cooked) | 2.5 mcg | 1.2 mcg | 104% DV |
| Scallops (cooked) | 2.1 mcg | 1.9 mcg | 90% DV |
| Tilapia (cooked) | 1.9 mcg | 1.5 mcg | 78% DV |
| Feta | 1.7 mcg | 0.6 mcg | 70% DV |
| Brie | 1.6 mcg | 0.5 mcg | 69% DV |
| Corned beef (canned) | 1.6 mcg | 0.6 mcg | 68% DV |
| Gruyère | 1.6 mcg | 0.4 mcg | 67% DV |
| Provolone | 1.5 mcg | 0.4 mcg | 61% DV |
| Lobster (cooked) | 1.4 mcg | 1.6 mcg | 60% DV |
| Flounder (cooked) | 1.3 mcg | 1.5 mcg | 55% DV |
| Halibut (cooked) | 1.3 mcg | 1.1 mcg | 53% DV |
| Squid (cooked) | 1.2 mcg | 0.7 mcg | 51% DV |
Common questions
How much vitamin B12 do I need?
The FDA daily value and adult RDA are both 2.4 mcg. Absorption falls with age and with long-term metformin or acid-suppressing medication; vegans need fortified foods or a supplement.
Where do these numbers come from?
USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy and Foundation Foods), synced per food with source entry IDs on each food page. One dataset, one per-100 g basis, per-100 kcal computed here.
Method
Values are USDA FoodData Central per-100 g figures (SR Legacy / Foundation), the same rows behind every food page on this site; per-100 kcal is computed as nutrient ÷ kcal × 100. DV = FDA daily value for adults (2.4 mcg for this nutrient, 21 CFR 101.9).