Last updated: October 11, 2026. Information checked at the time of writing.
Short answer: in Health Canada’s 2026 Canadian Nutrient File, the richest common food is “Lamb, liver, pan-fried”, at 85.7 mcg per 100 g. The Daily Value used on Canadian labels is 2.4 mcg. The table ranks 30 foods by amount per 100 g and shows the amount in a typical serving.
The ranking
| Rank | Food (CNF) | Serving | Per serving | % DV per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamb, liver, pan-fried | 75 g | 64.3 mcg | 2,678% | 85.7 mcg |
| 2 | Beef, liver, pan-fried | 75 g | 62.4 mcg | 2,598% | 83.1 mcg |
| 3 | Lamb, kidney, braised | 75 g | 59.2 mcg | 2,465% | 78.9 mcg |
| 4 | Veal, liver, pan-fried | 75 g | 54.4 mcg | 2,266% | 72.5 mcg |
| 5 | Mollusks, octopus, common, boiled or steamed | 75 g | 27.0 mcg | 1,125% | 36.0 mcg |
| 6 | Mollusks, oyster, pacific, boiled or steamed | 75 g | 21.6 mcg | 900% | 28.8 mcg |
| 7 | Beef, kidney, simmered | 75 g | 18.7 mcg | 778% | 24.9 mcg |
| 8 | Mollusks, mussel, blue, boiled or steamed | 75 g | 18.0 mcg | 750% | 24.0 mcg |
| 9 | Chicken, liver, all classes, cooked, pan-fried | 75 g | 15.8 mcg | 660% | 21.1 mcg |
| 10 | Fish, caviar, black and red, granular | 15 ml | 3.25 mcg | 135% | 20.0 mcg |
| 11 | Mollusks, clam, mixed species, boiled or steamed | 75 g | 14.6 mcg | 610% | 19.5 mcg |
| 12 | Fish, mackerel, atlantic, baked or broiled | 75 g | 14.2 mcg | 594% | 19.0 mcg |
| 13 | Fish, herring, Atlantic, kippered | 75 g | 14.0 mcg | 585% | 18.7 mcg |
| 14 | Pork, liver, braised | 75 g | 14.0 mcg | 583% | 18.7 mcg |
| 15 | Mollusks, oyster, eastern (blue point), wild, boiled or steamed | 75 g | 13.1 mcg | 547% | 17.5 mcg |
| 16 | Fish, herring, Atlantic, baked or broiled | 75 g | 9.86 mcg | 411% | 13.1 mcg |
| 17 | Crustaceans, crab, alaska king, boiled or steamed | 75 g | 8.62 mcg | 359% | 11.5 mcg |
| 18 | Lamb, heart, braised | 75 g | 8.40 mcg | 350% | 11.2 mcg |
| 19 | Fish, tuna, bluefin, fresh, baked or broiled | 75 g | 8.16 mcg | 340% | 10.9 mcg |
| 20 | Beef, heart, simmered | 75 g | 8.10 mcg | 338% | 10.8 mcg |
| 21 | Crustaceans, crab, atlantic snow crab (spider, queen), boiled or steamed | 75 g | 7.79 mcg | 325% | 10.4 mcg |
| 22 | Beef, brain, simmered | 75 g | 7.58 mcg | 316% | 10.1 mcg |
| 23 | Fish, sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained solids with bone | 75 g | 6.71 mcg | 280% | 8.94 mcg |
| 24 | Pork, kidney, braised | 75 g | 5.84 mcg | 243% | 7.79 mcg |
| 25 | Chicken, broiler, heart, simmered | 75 g | 5.47 mcg | 228% | 7.29 mcg |
| 26 | Lamb, Canadian, ground, cooked | 75 g | 3.96 mcg | 165% | 5.28 mcg |
| 27 | Egg, chicken, yolk, cooked | 1 yolk | 0.88 mcg | 37% | 5.18 mcg |
| 28 | Beef, spleen, braised | 75 g | 3.76 mcg | 157% | 5.02 mcg |
| 29 | Fish, salmon, pink, canned, drained solids with bone | 75 g | 3.71 mcg | 155% | 4.95 mcg |
| 30 | Fish, salmon, sockeye (red), baked or broiled | 75 g | 3.35 mcg | 140% | 4.47 mcg |
Source: Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File 2026 (14th edition). Amounts per 100 g and per serving as listed by the CNF; servings use CNF measures such as one Canada’s Food Guide serving of meat (75 g).
What to know
- Vitamin B12 is found almost only in animal foods; people who eat no animal foods need fortified foods or a supplement.
- Liver and kidney top the list, with a single 75 g serving supplying many times the Daily Value.
See also: the beef liver guide, the organ meats guide and the best beef liver supplements in Canada.
FAQ
What food has the most vitamin B12?
Pan-fried lamb liver and beef liver lead the Canadian Nutrient File 2026 ranking, at about 85.7 and 83.1 mcg per 100 g.
How much B12 do I need a day?
The Daily Value on Canadian labels is 2.4 mcg.
Do plants contain vitamin B12?
Not in meaningful amounts. Vegans rely on fortified foods or supplements.
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Written by the team at Rise Nutrition, Toronto, Canada’s single-ingredient ancestral nutrition brand. Questions: ray@risenutritions.ca
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