Foods high in zinc

This list shows the 40 foods with the highest zinc content per 100 grams. The values come from the German food code BLS 4.0 (Max Rubner-Institut). Dried or highly concentrated products often rank near the top because they contain little water. In everyday life the portion counts: a handful of nuts weighs about 30 grams, a glass of milk 200.

Top 40 by zinc per 100 g

# Food zinc % NRV kcal
1 European oyster raw 62 mg 620 % 67
2 Beef neck/chuck, boiled 9.16 mg 92 % 199
3 Lamb shoulder, boiled 7.57 mg 76 % 172
4 Veal shoulder, boiled 7.43 mg 74 % 119
5 Roast beef 7.33 mg 73 % 228
6 Beef shin/foreshank, boiled 7.12 mg 71 % 149
7 Beef rump, boiled 6.9 mg 69 % 174
8 Beef forerib/prime rib, boiled 6.85 mg 68 % 181
9 Pumpkin seed 6.15 mg 62 % 588
10 Pine nut 6.01 mg 60 % 660
11 Sesame seed 5.95 mg 60 % 565
12 Parmesan cheese min. 30 % fat in dry matter 5.94 mg 59 % 391
13 Poppy seed 5.86 mg 59 % 528
14 Sunflower seeds 5.76 mg 58 % 564
15 Chia seeds 5.72 mg 57 % 479
16 Beef neck/chuck, raw 5.68 mg 57 % 149
17 Veal scrag raw 5.68 mg 57 % 109
18 Beef steak 5.62 mg 56 % 180
19 Veal tenderloin steak, grilled 5.51 mg 55 % 144
20 Beef tenderloin 5.44 mg 54 % 136
21 Venison meat, boiled 5.35 mg 53 % 171
22 Beef connective tissue, raw 5.3 mg 53 % 140
23 Beef leg/hindshank, raw 5.3 mg 53 % 140
24 Sheep breast, fat, boiled 5.26 mg 53 % 480
25 Mutton breast, boiled 5.26 mg 53 % 480
26 Beef goulash (shoulder) raw 5.2 mg 52 % 128
27 Beef meat for roasting (shoulder) raw 5.2 mg 52 % 128
28 Beef meat for boiling (shoulder) raw 5.2 mg 52 % 128
29 Beef shoulder, raw 5.2 mg 52 % 128
30 Beef shin/foreshank, raw 5.2 mg 52 % 128
31 Veal goulash (shoulder) raw 5.2 mg 52 % 94
32 Veal meat for roasting (shoulder) raw 5.2 mg 52 % 94
33 Veal shoulder, raw 5.2 mg 52 % 94
34 Cashew butter (100 % pure) 5.16 mg 52 % 623
35 Cashew nut 5.15 mg 52 % 618
36 Veal breast, boiled 5.08 mg 51 % 232
37 Beef bonemeat, raw 5.01 mg 50 % 105
38 Beef muscle meat, raw 5.01 mg 50 % 106
39 Veal schnitzel 5 mg 50 % 129
40 Beef steak (loin) grilled 4.98 mg 50 % 151

All values per 100 g edible portion, source: BLS 4.0 (Max Rubner-Institut, CC BY 4.0). Beverages and alcoholic drinks are not included. Average values, not medical advice.

Frequently asked questions

Which food contains the most zinc?

According to the BLS 4.0, European oyster raw leads with 62 mg per 100 grams, followed by Beef neck/chuck, boiled (9.16 mg) and Lamb shoulder, boiled (7.57 mg).

How much zinc per day?

The EU reference value for daily intake (NRV, Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011) is 10 mg. It is an orientation for food labels, not an individual recommendation. What fits you depends on age, sex, health and circumstances.

Where do the values come from?

From the Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel (BLS 4.0), the nutrition database of the Max Rubner-Institut (licence CC BY 4.0). They are average values per 100 grams of edible portion. They do not replace medical advice.

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