Foods Highest in SFA 16:0

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

Shortening frying (heavy duty), palm (hydrogenated) ranks #1 of 50 for SFA 16:0, at 40.6G per 100g.

What These SFA 16:0 Rankings Mean

This ranking surfaces the top 50 whole foods for SFA 16:0, 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 SFA 16:0, so amounts are reported in absolute terms (G per 100g edible portion).

At the top of the ranking sits Shortening frying (heavy duty), palm (hydrogenated), delivering 40.6G per 100g. The top three (Shortening frying (heavy duty), palm (hydrogenated), Shortening, confectionery, fractionated palm, Fish oil, menhaden, fully hydrogenated) 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 SFA 16:0 sources side-by-side

# Food Amount % DV
1 Shortening frying (heavy duty), palm (hydrogenated) 40.6 G -
2 Shortening, confectionery, fractionated palm 36.0 G -
3 Fish oil, menhaden, fully hydrogenated 35.2 G -
4 Oil, industrial, palm and palm kernel, filling fat (non-hydrogenated) 29.4 G -
5 Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, leaf fat, raw 26.8 G -
6 Butter oil, anhydrous 26.2 G -
7 Oil, cocoa butter 25.4 G -
8 Fat, beef tallow 24.9 G -
9 Shortening frying (heavy duty), beef tallow and cottonseed 24.5 G -
10 Animal fat, bacon grease 23.7 G -
11 Shortening, special purpose for baking, soybean (hydrogenated) palm and cottonseed 23.4 G -
12 Shortening, household, lard and vegetable oil 23.0 G -
13 Oil, industrial, cottonseed, fully hydrogenated 23.0 G -
14 Oil, cottonseed, salad or cooking 22.7 G -
15 Beef, variety meats and by-products, suet, raw 22.6 G -
16 Nuts, pilinuts, dried 22.0 G -
17 Butter, salted 21.7 G -
18 Butter, without salt 21.7 G -
19 Butter, stick, salted 21.2 G -
20 Butter, whipped, with salt 20.5 G -
21 Pork, bacon, rendered fat, cooked 19.8 G -
22 Pork, fresh, backfat, raw 19.4 G -
23 Shortening, multipurpose, soybean (hydrogenated) and palm (hydrogenated) 19.4 G -
24 Shortening industrial, lard and vegetable oil 19.2 G -
25 Shortening cake mix, soybean (hydrogenated) and cottonseed (hydrogenated) 18.0 G -
26 Beef, retail cuts, separable fat, cooked 17.8 G -
27 Beef, retail cuts, separable fat, raw 17.7 G -
28 Pork, cured, salt pork, raw 17.7 G -
29 Oil, rice bran 16.9 G -
30 Veal, composite of trimmed retail cuts, separable fat, raw 16.9 G -
31 Fish oil, sardine 16.6 G -
32 Veal, composite of trimmed retail cuts, separable fat, cooked 16.6 G -
33 Oil, wheat germ 16.6 G -
34 Lamb, Australian, imported, fresh, separable fat, raw 16.2 G -
35 Lamb, composite of trimmed retail cuts, separable fat, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, raw 16.0 G -
36 Margarine-like spread, SMART BALANCE Omega Plus Spread (with plant sterols & fish oil) 16.0 G -
37 Chocolate-flavored hazelnut spread 15.9 G -
38 Oil, industrial, soy (partially hydrogenated ), palm, principal uses icings and fillings 15.8 G -
39 Lamb, Australian, imported, fresh, separable fat, cooked 15.4 G -
40 Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, jowl, raw 15.2 G -
41 Fish oil, menhaden 15.1 G -
42 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, frozen, composite of trimmed retail cuts, separable fat, raw 15.1 G -
43 Oil, tomatoseed 15.0 G -
44 Beef, New Zealand, imported, subcutaneous fat, cooked 14.9 G -
45 Beef, New Zealand, imported, subcutaneous fat, raw 14.9 G -
46 Pork, fresh, separable fat, cooked 14.9 G -
47 Egg, yolk, dried 14.8 G -
48 Chicken, broilers or fryers, separable fat, raw 14.7 G -
49 Butter, light, stick, without salt 14.5 G -
50 Butter, light, stick, with salt 14.5 G -

Frequently Asked Questions

What food is highest in SFA 16:0?

Shortening frying (heavy duty), palm (hydrogenated) is the food highest in SFA 16:0, with 40.6G per 100g.

How much SFA 16:0 do I need per day?

There is no established FDA Daily Value for SFA 16:0. Consult a healthcare professional for guidance on appropriate intake levels.

What are good whole food sources of SFA 16:0?

Top whole food sources of SFA 16:0 include Shortening frying (heavy duty), palm (hydrogenated), Shortening, confectionery, fractionated palm, Fish oil, menhaden, fully hydrogenated, 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 — SFA 16:0 (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.