Nutrient table

Foods high in vitamin B12

Per usual portion, sheep liver, mutton kidney and beef liver supply the most vitamin B12. Among plant foods, sushi nori (toasted) and sauerkraut drained lead. The tables rank 1,851 basic foods from the German Food Code and Nutrient Data Base (BLS 4.0) – per portion, per 100 g and by nutrient density.

For adults aged 25 to 51, the German Nutrition Society (DGE) gives 4 µg a day.

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Good to know

Vitamin B12 occurs in meaningful amounts only in animal foods. For a vegan diet the DGE therefore recommends a B12 supplement – which is why the plant table below stays short.

Top 20 per portion

What a usual portion supplies – the ranking that matters day to day.

# Food Portion per portion (µg) % reference per 100 g (µg)
1 Sheep liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 120 g 108 2,700% 90.0
2 Mutton kidney, braised without fatVariety meats/giblets 120 g 106 2,640% 88.0
3 Beef liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 150 g 97.5 2,438% 65.0
4 Lamb liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 120 g 91.2 2,280% 76.0
5 Goose liver, fried without fat (pan)Variety meats/giblets 140 g 88.2 2,205% 63.0
6 Veal liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 120 g 78.7 1,968% 65.6
7 Duck liver, fried without fat (pan)Variety meats/giblets 130 g 78.0 1,950% 60.0
8 Pork liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 120 g 34.2 855% 28.5
9 Softshell clam rawMollusks 200 g 29.2 730% 14.6
10 Common mussel rawMollusks 300 g 24.0 600% 8.0
11 European oyster grilledMollusks 100 g 19.6 490% 19.6
12 Turkey giblets, fried without fat (pan)Poultry 150 g 19.1 476% 12.7
13 Venus clam boiled, fried without fat (pan)Mollusks 150 g 17.1 428% 11.4
14 Fried herring canned, drainedDeep-sea fish 150 g 15.0 375% 10.0
15 Mackerel grilledDeep-sea fish 120 g 13.7 343% 11.4
16 Pike poachedDeep-sea fish 150 g 13.4 336% 8.9
17 Garfish fried without fat (pan)Fresh-water fish 150 g 13.0 325% 8.7
18 Anchovy grilledDeep-sea fish 100 g 12.1 302% 12.1
19 Herring poachedDeep-sea fish 120 g 12.0 300% 10.0
20 Herring smokedDeep-sea fish 120 g 11.6 291% 9.7

Top 20 per 100 g

The content of the food itself, however much of it you eat. Foods eaten in portions under 10.0 g are listed further down under herbs and spices.

# Food per 100 g (µg) Portion per portion (µg)
1 Sheep liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 90.0 120 g 108
2 Mutton kidney, braised without fatVariety meats/giblets 88.0 120 g 106
3 Lamb liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 76.0 120 g 91.2
4 Veal liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 65.6 120 g 78.7
5 Beef liver mince, rawRed meat (excluding variety meats) 65.0 120 g 78.0
6 Goose liver, fried without fat (pan)Variety meats/giblets 63.0 140 g 88.2
7 Duck liver, fried without fat (pan)Variety meats/giblets 60.0 130 g 78.0
8 Pork liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 28.5 120 g 34.2
9 European oyster grilledMollusks 19.6 100 g 19.6
10 Herring roe saltedDeep-sea fish 18.2 30 g 5.5
11 Salmon roe saltedDeep-sea fish 18.2 25 g 4.5
12 Cod roe rawDeep-sea fish 14.8 30 g 4.4
13 Softshell clam rawMollusks 14.6 200 g 29.2
14 Boiling fowl giblets, braised without fatPoultry 13.7 80 g 11.0
15 Herring saltedDeep-sea fish 13.2 80 g 10.6
16 Turkey giblets, fried without fat (pan)Poultry 12.7 150 g 19.1
17 Anchovy grilledDeep-sea fish 12.1 100 g 12.1
18 Mackerel grilledDeep-sea fish 11.4 120 g 13.7
19 Venus clam boiled, fried without fat (pan)Mollusks 11.4 150 g 17.1
20 Sardine grilledDeep-sea fish 11.4 100 g 11.4

Plant foods high in vitamin B12

Vegan foods, ranked per portion.

# Food Portion per portion (µg) % reference per 100 g (µg)
1 Sushi nori (toasted)Vegetables 3 g 1.9 47.0% 62.5
2 Sauerkraut drained, braised without fatVegetables 180 g 0.68 17.0% 0.38
3 Sauerkraut juiceVegetables 220 g 0.57 14.0% 0.26
4 Wine sauerkraut boiledVegetables 180 g 0.38 9.0% 0.21
5 Cocoa powder strongly deoiledChocolate 15 g 0.21 5.0% 1.4
6 Bittersweet/semisweet chocolateChocolate 40 g 0.21 5.0% 0.52
7 Sea buckthorn berry juiceFruit 200 g 0.20 5.0% 0.10

Highest nutrient density

Vitamin B12 per 100 kcal: for plenty of it at little energy. Only foods with at least 20.0 kcal per 100 g.

# Food per 100 kcal (µg) per 100 g (µg)
1 Veal liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 76.3 65.6
2 Sheep liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 68.7 90.0
3 Mutton kidney, rawVariety meats/giblets 67.7 63.0
4 Lamb liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 58.0 76.0
5 Beef liver mince, rawRed meat (excluding variety meats) 49.6 65.0
6 Goose liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 49.5 54.0
7 Duck liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 44.6 54.0
8 Softshell clam rawMollusks 27.0 14.6
9 European oyster rawMollusks 21.8 14.6
10 Pork liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 21.8 28.5
11 Venus clam rawMollusks 15.5 11.3
12 Cod roe saltedDeep-sea fish 14.4 18.2

By food group

Vegetables and potatoes high in vitamin B12

Food Portion per portion (µg) % reference
Sushi nori (toasted)Vegetables 3 g 1.9 47.0%
Sauerkraut drained, braised without fatVegetables 180 g 0.68 17.0%
Sauerkraut juiceVegetables 220 g 0.57 14.0%
Wine sauerkraut boiledVegetables 180 g 0.38 9.0%

Oils and fats high in vitamin B12

Food Portion per portion (µg) % reference
Cod liver fried without fat (pan)Animal oils 75 g 8.4 211%

Grains, bread and pasta high in vitamin B12

Food Portion per portion (µg) % reference
White bread dumplings boiled, fried without fat (pan)Pasta 220 g 1.3 33.0%
Fresh egg pasta boiled, bakedPasta 250 g 1.2 31.0%
Semolina dumplings driedPasta 40 g 0.88 22.0%
Egg pasta gluten-free, rawPasta 80 g 0.64 16.0%
Potato noodles (Schupfnudeln) boiled, bakedPasta 200 g 0.60 15.0%
Finger-shaped pasta Swabian style, rawPasta 180 g 0.54 14.0%
Wholemeal egg pasta rawPasta 80 g 0.24 6.0%
Spelt egg pasta boiledPasta 180 g 0.18 4.0%

Dairy, cheese and eggs high in vitamin B12

Food Portion per portion (µg) % reference
Goose egg rawEggs 160 g 8.2 204%
Duck egg rawEggs 80 g 4.1 102%
Cottage cheese min. 20 % fat in dry matterCheese 150 g 3.0 75.0%
Quark 10 % fat in dry matterCheese 200 g 2.0 50.0%
Milk low-fat, 1.5 % fat, ultra-heatedMilk 240 g 1.8 46.0%
Chicken egg yolk, bakedEggs 20 g 1.8 44.0%
Layered cheese min. 10 % fat in dry matterCheese 150 g 1.5 38.0%
Halloumi cheeseCheese 80 g 1.4 35.0%

Fish and seafood high in vitamin B12

Food Portion per portion (µg) % reference
Softshell clam rawMollusks 200 g 29.2 730%
Common mussel rawMollusks 300 g 24.0 600%
European oyster grilledMollusks 100 g 19.6 490%
Venus clam boiled, fried without fat (pan)Mollusks 150 g 17.1 428%
Fried herring canned, drainedDeep-sea fish 150 g 15.0 375%
Mackerel grilledDeep-sea fish 120 g 13.7 343%
Pike poachedDeep-sea fish 150 g 13.4 336%
Garfish fried without fat (pan)Fresh-water fish 150 g 13.0 325%

Meat and sausages high in vitamin B12

Food Portion per portion (µg) % reference
Beef liver mince, rawRed meat (excluding variety meats) 120 g 78.0 1,950%
Turkey giblets, fried without fat (pan)Poultry 150 g 19.1 476%
Goose giblets, fried without fat (pan)Poultry 100 g 12.7 318%
Boiling fowl giblets, braised without fatPoultry 80 g 11.0 274%
Duck giblets, fried without fat (pan)Poultry 80 g 10.3 258%
Sheep foreshank, medium fat, deep-frozen grilledLamb 350 g 8.8 219%
Domestic rabbit meat, rawGame 120 g 8.4 210%
Veal tenderloin steak, fried without fat (oven)Veal 150 g 7.3 182%

Offal high in vitamin B12

Food Portion per portion (µg) % reference
Sheep liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 120 g 108 2,700%
Mutton kidney, braised without fatVariety meats/giblets 120 g 106 2,640%
Beef liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 150 g 97.5 2,438%
Lamb liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 120 g 91.2 2,280%
Goose liver, fried without fat (pan)Variety meats/giblets 140 g 88.2 2,205%
Veal liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 120 g 78.7 1,968%
Duck liver, fried without fat (pan)Variety meats/giblets 130 g 78.0 1,950%
Pork liver, rawVariety meats/giblets 120 g 34.2 855%

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Where the numbers come from

All values come from the German Food Code and Nutrient Data Base (BLS 4.0) of the Max Rubner Institute. Each table lists a food once, in the preparation that ranks highest. Portion sizes are typical portions NutriSpy set per food. Data as of 2026-09-24.

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These tables describe the nutrient content of foods. They are not dietary advice and do not replace seeing a doctor.

Data source: Max Rubner-Institut (2025): Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel (BLS), Version 4.0 — Deutsche Nährstoffdatenbank. Karlsruhe. DOI: 10.25826/Data20251217-134202-0 · Licence: CC BY 4.0 · Selection, rounding and values per portion: NutriSpy