Version 1.2, 22 January 2008
A table of salicylate content in foods ====================================== This mostly comes from an article by Swain, Dutton and Truswell in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, August 1985. They give variants for different strains of some fruit; I've simplified this down to a range figure and reorganized the data a bit. It's based on Australian products. The extreme figures were confirmed by repeated analyses. I don't have any further information to hand than what I've given here, so don't bother asking. On the other hand, I would like to know of any more recent surveys. Quantities are in milligrams per 100 grams. Please, when using this, note how much of the food you're likely to eat: an average helping of watermelon will have far more salicylate than one of loganberry, even though the loganberry has a higher concentration. Note that processing is equally likely to increase or decrease salicylate levels. If you need professional advice on a low-salicylate diet, contact Marion here (m e b @ p u r r . d e m o n . c o . u k). Please note that Marion does this for a living and consultations are never free. Fruit ===== Apple 0.08 - 0.69 fresh Apple 0.55 canned Apple 0.19 juice Apricot 2.58 fresh Apricot 1.42 canned Apricot 0.14 nectar Avocado 0.60 Banana 0.00 fresh Blackberry, 1.86 canned Blackcurrant 3.06 frozen Blueberry 2.76 canned Boysenberry 2.04 canned Cantaloupe melon 1.50 fresh Cherry, sweet 0.85 fresh Cherry, sweet 2.78 canned Cherry, morello 0.30 canned Cranberry 1.64 canned Cranberry 1.44 sauce Custard apple 0.21 fresh Date 3.73 fresh Date 4.50 dried Fig 0.18 fresh Fig 0.25 canned Fig 0.64 dried Guava 2.02 canned Grape 0.94 - 1.88 fresh Grape 0.16 canned Grape 0.18 - 0.88 juice Grape 5.80 - 7.80 dried (currants, raisins, sultanas) Grapefruit 0.68 fresh Grapefruit 0.42 juice Kiwifruit 0.32 fresh Lemon 0.18 fresh Loganberry 4.40 canned Loquat 0.26 fresh Lychee 0.36 canned Mandarin 0.56 fresh Mango 0.11 fresh Mulberry 0.76 fresh Nectarine 0.49 fresh Orange 2.39 fresh Orange 0.18 juice Passionfruit 0.14 fresh Pawpaw 0.08 fresh Peach 0.58 fresh Peach 0.68 canned Peach 0.10 nectar Pear 0.27 - 0.31 fresh, with skin Pear 0.00 fresh, no skin Pear 0.00 canned Persimmon 0.18 fresh Pineapple 2.10 fresh Pineapple 1.36 canned Pineapple 0.16 juice Plum 0.09 - 0.21 fresh Plum 1.16 canned Plum 6.87 canned prunes Pomegranate 0.07 fresh Raspberry 5.14 fresh Raspberry 3.88 frozen Redcurrants 5.06 frozen Rhubarb 0.13 fresh Strawberry 1.36 fresh Tamarillo 0.10 fresh (god, is there a reason to eat them?) Tangelo 0.72 fresh Watermelon 0.48 fresh Youngberry 3.06 canned Vegetables ========== Alfalfa 0.70 fresh Asparagus 0.14 fresh Asparagus 0.32 canned Bamboo shoots 0.00 canned Beans 0.00 - 0.08 dried (inc. soybeans and lentils) Beansprouts 0.06 fresh Beetroot 0.11 fresh Beetroot 0.32 canned Broad beans 0.37 fresh Broccoli 0.65 fresh Brussels sprouts 0.07 fresh Cabbage 0.00 - 0.08 fresh Carrot 0.23 fresh Cauliflower 0.16 fresh Celery 0.00 fresh Chicory 1.02 fresh Chili pepper 0.64 - 1.20 fresh Chives 0.03 fresh Choko 0.01 fresh Courgette 1.04 fresh Cucumber 0.78 fresh, peeled Eggplant 0.88 fresh Eggplant 0.30 fresh, no peel Endive 1.90 fresh French beans 0.11 fresh Gherkin 6.14 fresh Horseradish 0.18 canned Leek 0.08 fresh Lettuce 0.00 fresh Marrow 0.17 fresh Mushroom 0.24 fresh Mushroom 1.10 canned Okra 0.59 canned Olive, black 0.34 canned Olive, green 1.29 canned Onion 0.16 fresh Parsnip 0.45 fresh Peas 0.16 fresh Peas 0.00 dried Pepper, sweet 1.20 fresh Pimiento 0.15 canned Potato 0.12 fresh, with peel Potato 0.00 fresh, no peel Pumpkin 0.12 fresh Radish 1.24 fresh Shallot 0.03 fresh Spinach 0.58 fresh Spinach 0.16 frozen Squash, baby 0.63 fresh Swede (turnip) 0.00 fresh Sweetcorn 0.13 fresh Sweetcorn 0.26 - 0.39 canned Sweet potato 0.48 - 0.50 fresh Tomato 0.13 fresh Tomato 0.53 canned Tomato 0.10 - 0.18 juice Tomato 0.43 - 1.44 paste Tomato 0.32 - 0.54 soup Tomato 0.94 - 2.48 sauce Turnip, white 0.16 fresh Watercress 0.84 fresh Spices ====== Some spices can be extraordinarily high in salicylate, but are eaten in such small quantities this is not often relevant. Those that might matter are: Cumin 45.0 powder Curry 218.0 powder Dill 6.9 fresh Dill 94.4 powder Garam masala 66.8 powder Garlic 0.1 fresh Ginger 4.5 fresh Malt vinegar 0.0 Mixed herbs 55.6 dried Oregano 66.0 dried Paprika, hot 203.0 powder Rosemary 68.0 dried Sage 21.7 dried Tarragon 34.8 dried Thyme 183.0 dried Turmeric 76.4 powder White vinegar 1.3 Worcester sauce 64.3 Drinks (milligrams per 100ml of ready-to-drink form) ====== Camomile tea 0.06 Cereal "coffee" 0.00 - 2.26 Coca-Cola 0.25 Coffee, instant 0.00 - 0.96 Decaffeinated tea 0.37 Fruit tea 0.36 - 0.40 Milo/Ovaltine 0.00 - 0.01 Peppermint tea 1.10 Tea 1.90 - 7.34 Grains ====== Maize 0.43 dry All others 0.00 Nuts and seeds ============== Almond 3.00 fresh Brazil nut 0.46 fresh Cashew nut 0.07 fresh Coconut 0.26 desiccated Hazelnut 0.14 fresh Macadamia nut 0.52 fresh Peanut 1.12 fresh, unshelled Peanut 0.23 butter Pecan 0.12 fresh Pine nut 0.51 fresh Pistachio 0.55 fresh Poppyseed 0.00 dry Sesame seed 0.23 Sunflower seed 0.12 dry Walnut 0.30 fresh Water chestnut 2.92 canned Other Foods =========== Honey 2.50 - 11.24 Licorice 7.96 - 9.78 Peppermints 0.77 - 7.58 (from methyl salicylate flavouring?) Dairy products 0.00 - 0.05 Meat 0.00 Fish 0.00 Shellfish 0.02 - 0.04 Drinks ====== Beer and cider 0.16 - 0.35 Benedictine 9.04 Port 1.40 - 4.20 Sherry 0.46 - 0.56 Brandy 0.49 Gin 0.00 Rum 0.76 - 1.28 Vodka 0.00 Whisky 0.00 Wine 0.10 - 1.02