Foods Highest in PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA)

FDA labeling rules →

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

Fish oil, menhaden ranks #1 of 50 for PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA), at 13.2G per 100g.

What These PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) Rankings Mean

This ranking surfaces the top 50 whole foods for PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA), 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 20:5 n-3 (EPA), so amounts are reported in absolute terms (G per 100g edible portion).

At the top of the ranking sits Fish oil, menhaden, delivering 13.2G per 100g. The top three (Fish oil, menhaden, Fish oil, salmon, Fish oil, sardine) 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 20:5 n-3 (EPA) sources side-by-side

# Food Amount % DV
1 Fish oil, menhaden 13.2 G -
2 Fish oil, salmon 13.0 G -
3 Fish oil, sardine 10.1 G -
4 Oil, bearded seal (Oogruk) (Alaska Native) 9.7 G -
5 Fish oil, cod liver 6.9 G -
6 Fish oil, herring 6.3 G -
7 Oil, spotted seal (Alaska Native) 3.9 G -
8 Oil, beluga, whale (Alaska Native) 2.8 G -
9 Fish, caviar, black and red, granular 2.7 G -
10 Fish, mackerel, salted 1.6 G -
11 Fish, roe, mixed species, cooked, dry heat 1.3 G -
12 Fish, herring, Pacific, cooked, dry heat 1.2 G -
13 Fish, shad, american, raw 1.1 G -
14 Fish, salmon, chinook, cooked, dry heat 1.0 G -
15 Fish, salmon, chinook, raw 1.0 G -
16 Fish, roe, mixed species, raw 0.98 G -
17 Fish, herring, Atlantic, kippered 0.97 G -
18 Fish, herring, Pacific, raw 0.97 G -
19 Smelt, dried (Alaska Native) 0.91 G -
20 Fish, herring, Atlantic, cooked, dry heat 0.91 G -
21 Salmon, red (sockeye), filets with skin, smoked (Alaska Native) 0.91 G -
22 Fish, mackerel, Atlantic, raw 0.90 G -
23 Fish, sablefish, smoked 0.89 G -
24 Mollusks, oyster, Pacific, cooked, moist heat 0.88 G -
25 Fish, sablefish, cooked, dry heat 0.87 G -
26 Fish, salmon, Atlantic, farmed, raw 0.86 G -
27 Fish, salmon, pink, canned, without salt, solids with bone and liquid 0.84 G -
28 Fish, herring, Atlantic, pickled 0.84 G -
29 Fish, anchovy, european, canned in oil, drained solids 0.76 G -
30 Fish, herring, Atlantic, raw 0.71 G -
31 Fish, salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked, dry heat 0.69 G -
32 Fish, sablefish, raw 0.68 G -
33 Fish, halibut, greenland, cooked, dry heat 0.67 G -
34 Fish, mackerel, Pacific and jack, mixed species, cooked, dry heat 0.65 G -
35 Fish, cisco, smoked 0.64 G -
36 Fish, salmon, chum, dried (Alaska Native) 0.61 G -
37 Fish, salmon, red, (sockeye), canned, smoked (Alaska Native) 0.60 G -
38 Fish, salmon, coho, wild, cooked, moist heat 0.54 G -
39 Fish, anchovy, european, raw 0.54 G -
40 Fish, sardine, Pacific, canned in tomato sauce, drained solids with bone 0.53 G -
41 Salmon, sockeye, canned, total can contents 0.53 G -
42 Fish, halibut, Greenland, raw 0.53 G -
43 Fish, salmon, sockeye, canned, drained solids 0.52 G -
44 Fish, mackerel, Pacific and jack, mixed species, raw 0.51 G -
45 Fish, mackerel, Atlantic, cooked, dry heat 0.50 G -
46 Fish, salmon, sockeye, canned, without salt, drained solids with bone 0.49 G -
47 Fish, salmon, coho (silver), raw (Alaska Native) 0.49 G -
48 Fish, salmon, chum, canned, without salt, drained solids with bone 0.47 G -
49 Fish, salmon, chum, canned, drained solids with bone 0.47 G -
50 Fish, sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained solids with bone 0.47 G -

Frequently Asked Questions

What food is highest in PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA)?

Fish oil, menhaden is the food highest in PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA), with 13.2G per 100g.

How much PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) do I need per day?

There is no established FDA Daily Value for PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA). Consult a healthcare professional for guidance on appropriate intake levels.

What are good whole food sources of PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA)?

Top whole food sources of PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) include Fish oil, menhaden, Fish oil, salmon, Fish oil, sardine, 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 20:5 n-3 (EPA) (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.