Foods Highest in PUFA 18:2

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Top 50 whole foods per 100g, from USDA Standard Reference and Foundation databases

Oil, safflower, salad or cooking, linoleic, (over 70%) ranks #1 of 50 for PUFA 18:2, at 74.6G per 100g.

What These PUFA 18:2 Rankings Mean

This ranking surfaces the top 50 whole foods for PUFA 18:2, pulled from USDA Standard Reference Legacy and Foundation databases. Those two sources intentionally exclude branded and processed entries, which keeps the list focused on raw ingredients where nutrient content reflects the food itself rather than fortification or recipe adjustments. There is no established FDA Daily Value for PUFA 18:2, so amounts are reported in absolute terms (G per 100g edible portion).

At the top of the ranking sits Oil, safflower, salad or cooking, linoleic, (over 70%), delivering 74.6G per 100g. The top three (Oil, safflower, salad or cooking, linoleic, (over 70%), Oil, grapeseed, Oil, sunflower, linoleic, (approx. 65%)) together form a practical "big lever" set, foods where a single serving meaningfully moves daily intake. The visual bars beside each row scale against the top food, so you can see at a glance whether a lower-ranked food is still a strong source or a distant runner-up.

Because this page excludes branded products, it is the right tool for comparing whole-food cooking choices rather than packaged-food shopping decisions, for those, the per-food pages and the branded search tools cover the same nutrient at product level. All values are reported per 100g edible portion, which means the raw numbers can be directly compared but real-world servings differ (a 100g portion of spinach is very different from 100g of almonds by volume). The nutrition guides linked below explain how to translate % DV and per-100g figures into practical daily targets and how to read nutrition labels when comparing whole foods to their processed equivalents.

→ Compare the top three PUFA 18:2 sources side-by-side

# Food Amount % DV
1 Oil, safflower, salad or cooking, linoleic, (over 70%) 74.6 G -
2 Oil, grapeseed 69.6 G -
3 Oil, sunflower, linoleic, (approx. 65%) 65.7 G -
4 Oil, poppyseed 62.4 G -
5 Oil, industrial, soy, low linolenic 56.0 G -
6 Oil, wheat germ 54.8 G -
7 Oil, corn, industrial and retail, all purpose salad or cooking 53.5 G -
8 Salad dressing, mayonnaise, soybean and safflower oil, with salt 52.0 G -
9 Oil, cottonseed, salad or cooking 51.5 G -
10 Oil, industrial, soy, refined, for woks and light frying 51.3 G -
11 Oil, soybean, salad or cooking 51.0 G -
12 Oil, industrial, soy, ultra low linolenic 50.9 G -
13 Oil, tomatoseed 50.8 G -
14 Oil, vegetable, soybean, refined 50.3 G -
15 Oil, cooking and salad, ENOVA, 80% diglycerides 45.9 G -
16 Oil, soybean, salad or cooking, (partially hydrogenated) and cottonseed 45.3 G -
17 Oil, sesame, salad or cooking 41.3 G -
18 Oil, industrial, soy (partially hydrogenated ) and soy (winterized), pourable clear fry 41.0 G -
19 Mayonnaise dressing, no cholesterol 40.6 G -
20 Oil, soybean lecithin 40.2 G -
21 Oil, sunflower, linoleic (less than 60%) 39.8 G -
22 Salad dressing, mayonnaise, regular 39.1 G -
23 Nuts, walnuts, english 38.1 G -
24 Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, toasted, with salt added 37.4 G -
25 Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, toasted, without salt 37.4 G -
26 Salad dressing, mayonnaise, soybean oil, without salt 37.1 G -
27 Mayonnaise, Regular 36.7 G -
28 Shortening bread, soybean (hydrogenated) and cottonseed 36.7 G -
29 Shortening, special purpose for cakes and frostings, soybean (hydrogenated) 35.8 G -
30 Nuts, walnuts, dry roasted, with salt added 35.7 G -
31 Oil, sunflower, linoleic, (partially hydrogenated) 35.3 G -
32 Oil, soybean, salad or cooking, (partially hydrogenated) 34.9 G -
33 Shortening, industrial, soy (partially hydrogenated), pourable liquid fry shortening 34.8 G -
34 Oil, industrial, soy (partially hydrogenated), multiuse for non-dairy butter flavor 34.6 G -
35 Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, oil roasted, with salt added 34.2 G -
36 Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, oil roasted, without salt 34.2 G -
37 Shortening, special purpose for baking, soybean (hydrogenated) palm and cottonseed 34.0 G -
38 Nuts, walnuts, black, dried 33.8 G -
39 Nuts, butternuts, dried 33.7 G -
40 Shortening, industrial, soy (partially hydrogenated ) and corn for frying 33.7 G -
41 Oil, rice bran 33.4 G -
42 Nuts, pine nuts, dried 33.1 G -
43 Oil, industrial, soy (partially hydrogenated), principal uses popcorn and flavoring vegetables 33.0 G -
44 Seeds, sunflower seed kernels from shell, dry roasted, with salt added 32.8 G -
45 Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dry roasted, with salt added 32.8 G -
46 Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dry roasted, without salt 32.8 G -
47 Oil, corn, peanut, and olive 32.6 G -
48 Oil, peanut, salad or cooking 32.0 G -
49 Salad dressing, french, home recipe 31.7 G -
50 Oil, apricot kernel 29.3 G -

Frequently Asked Questions

What food is highest in PUFA 18:2?

Oil, safflower, salad or cooking, linoleic, (over 70%) is the food highest in PUFA 18:2, with 74.6G per 100g.

How much PUFA 18:2 do I need per day?

There is no established FDA Daily Value for PUFA 18:2. Consult a healthcare professional for guidance on appropriate intake levels.

What are good whole food sources of PUFA 18:2?

Top whole food sources of PUFA 18:2 include Oil, safflower, salad or cooking, linoleic, (over 70%), Oil, grapeseed, Oil, sunflower, linoleic, (approx. 65%), and more. These rankings are based on USDA Standard Reference and Foundation food data, measured per 100g edible portion.

Source: USDA FoodData Central — Standard Reference Legacy and Foundation databases. Branded and processed products are excluded. All values per 100g edible portion.
Source: FDA Daily Value reference — PUFA 18:2 (no established DV) based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
This information is for reference only and should not replace professional dietary advice.

Read our methodology , how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.