Nutrient table

High Phosphorus Foods: Table with Values per 100 g

In the acid-base balance, phosphorus is the counterpart of potassium: it makes foods acid-forming. A deficiency is rare. Most people take in too much rather than too little, mainly from cheese, sausage, cola and processed foods with added phosphates. The table shows the foods highest in phosphorus per 100 g from the German Nutrient Database (Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel, BLS).

Daily needs: Recommended intake: 700 mg per day for adults (German Nutrition Society, DGE). Actual intake in Germany is usually 1,200 to 1,500 mg.

Data source: German Nutrient Database (Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel, BLS) 4.0, Max Rubner-Institut 2025. All values per 100 g.

The 40 foods highest in phosphorus per 100 g

Without dried concentrates, powders and mixed products; for each basic food the raw form, and at most eight entries per group. Legumes listed as "mature" are dry, before cooking.

Food mg phosphorus PRAL
Processed cheese sliceable min. 20 % fat in dry matter 910 +31.6
Hard cheese min. 30 % fat in dry matter 871 +29.6
Parmesan cheese min. 30 % fat in dry matter 871 +29.6
Poppy seed 854 +0.9
Semi-hard cheese min. 20 % fat in dry matter 730 +26.0
Appenzeller cheese min. 20 % fat in dry matter 730 +26.0
Chia seeds 706 +6.3
Emmentaler cheese min. 45 % fat in dry matter 705 +21.0
Bergkäse (Alpine cheese) min. 45 % fat in dry matter 700 +22.5
Sunflower seed 688 +11.9
Brazil nut 675 +8.0
Butterkäse cheese min. 50 % fat in dry matter 656 +18.1
Sesame seed 607 +3.9
Chicken egg yolk, raw 590 +24.6
Sushi nori (toasted) 573 −19.3
Sweet almond 555 +10.5
Pine nut 533 +7.2
Linseed/flax seed 533 +4.2
Quinoa white, raw 517 +7.4
Swordfish raw 506 +19.9
Amaranth raw 433 +5.9
Emmer wheat whole grain, raw 426 +8.7
Pork loin lean rolled, raw cured, smoked 423 +17.7
Einkorn wheat whole grain, raw 421 +8.9
Lamb liver, raw 405 +18.5
Buckwheat raw 403 +6.5
Green spelt whole grain, raw 385 +6.1
Spelt whole grain, raw 376 +9.3
Sheep liver, raw 364 +16.3
Mutton liver, raw 364 +17.4
Pasta egg-free, raw 360 +10.9
Bierwurst sausage 358 +12.1
Pork liver, raw 353 +16.3
Beef liver, raw 351 +14.6
Pork loin chop raw cured, smoked, grilled 343 +16.4
Eel raw 334 +13.0
Sheepshead raw 313 +11.9
Goatfish raw 313 +11.8
Softshell clam raw 310 −2.0
Chinook salmon raw 289 +10.5

Source: Max Rubner-Institut (2025). Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel (BLS), version 4.0. German Nutrient Database. PRAL values calculated from it according to Remer & Manz (1995): 0.49 × protein + 0.037 × phosphorus − 0.021 × potassium − 0.026 × magnesium − 0.013 × calcium, per 100 g. All values per 100 g of the edible portion. They do not replace medical or dietary advice.

Phosphorus goes hand in hand with protein: cheese, seeds, legumes, fish, meat, egg yolk and whole grains contain 300 to over 1,000 mg per 100 g. Your body absorbs only 30 to 50 percent of the phosphorus naturally bound in plants (phytate), and 60 to 70 percent of the phosphorus from animal foods.

Added phosphates (E 338 to E 452) in processed cheese, sausage, cola, baking mixes and ready meals are a different story. They are absorbed almost completely and are only partly listed in nutrition tables. The BLS values for processed products are therefore best seen as minimums.

If you have been told to cut back on phosphorus, for example because of kidney disease, drop the additives first (check the ingredient list for "phosphate"), then processed cheese, sausage and cola. The list of low phosphorus foods shows the alternatives.

Phosphorus and the acid-base balance

Phosphorus enters the PRAL with a factor of +0.037 per milligram, protein with +0.49 per gram. Together they make up the acid side of the formula. Cheese combines both in high concentration and therefore reaches values above +20. Fish and meat range from +7 to +15.

In everyday life, this means: don't avoid phosphorus, balance it. 100 g of cheese (about +20) is neutralized by 300 g of vegetables or potatoes (about −12 to −15) plus a little fruit. The PRAL calculator shows the balance of a meal.

Foods high in phosphorus, by group

The best sources of phosphorus within each food group, so you can spread your intake across your whole diet.

Fruit

Elderberry raw 57 mg −4.1
Passion fruit raw 57 mg −4.7
Naranjilla raw 50 mg −1.4
Elderberry juice 49 mg −3.9
Avocado raw 49 mg −9.9
Rose hip raw 47 mg 0.0
Kumquat raw 44 mg −2.7
Mulberry raw 43 mg −3.4

Vegetables

Sushi nori (toasted) 573 mg −19.3
Soya bean immature (edamame) raw 194 mg −3.7
Palm heart, raw 140 mg −32.0
Stinging nettle raw 138 mg −12.6
Garlic raw 134 mg −0.8
Artichokes raw 130 mg −2.8
Pea green, raw 118 mg −1.9
Broad bean immature, raw 108 mg −1.2

Legumes, nuts and seeds

Poppy seed 854 mg +0.9
Chia seeds 706 mg +6.3
Sunflower seed 688 mg +11.9
Brazil nut 675 mg +8.0
Sesame seed 607 mg +3.9
Soya bean mature 586 mg −6.3
Sweet almond 555 mg +10.5
Pine nut 533 mg +7.2

Grains, bread and potatoes

Quinoa white, raw 517 mg +7.4
Amaranth raw 433 mg +5.9
Emmer wheat whole grain, raw 426 mg +8.7
Einkorn wheat whole grain, raw 421 mg +8.9
Buckwheat raw 403 mg +6.5
Green spelt whole grain, raw 385 mg +6.1
Spelt whole grain, raw 376 mg +9.3
Pasta egg-free, raw 360 mg +10.9

Eggs

Chicken egg yolk, raw 590 mg +24.6
Quail egg raw 210 mg +10.3
Goose egg raw 208 mg +8.9
Duck egg raw 178 mg +8.5

Dairy and cheese

Processed cheese sliceable min. 20 % fat in dry matter 910 mg +31.6
Hard cheese min. 30 % fat in dry matter 871 mg +29.6
Parmesan cheese min. 30 % fat in dry matter 871 mg +29.6
Semi-hard cheese min. 20 % fat in dry matter 730 mg +26.0
Appenzeller cheese min. 20 % fat in dry matter 730 mg +26.0
Emmentaler cheese min. 45 % fat in dry matter 705 mg +21.0
Bergkäse (Alpine cheese) min. 45 % fat in dry matter 700 mg +22.5
Butterkäse cheese min. 50 % fat in dry matter 656 mg +18.1

Fish and seafood

Swordfish raw 506 mg +19.9
Eel raw 334 mg +13.0
Sheepshead raw 313 mg +11.9
Goatfish raw 313 mg +11.8
Softshell clam raw 310 mg −2.0
Chinook salmon raw 289 mg +10.5
Pacific salmon raw 289 mg +10.7
Sea trout raw 270 mg +10.8

Meat, offal and sausages

Pork loin lean rolled, raw cured, smoked 423 mg +17.7
Lamb liver, raw 405 mg +18.5
Sheep liver, raw 364 mg +16.3
Mutton liver, raw 364 mg +17.4
Bierwurst sausage 358 mg +12.1
Pork liver, raw 353 mg +16.3
Beef liver, raw 351 mg +14.6
Pork loin chop raw cured, smoked, grilled 343 mg +16.4

Drinks

Pale beer 28 mg +0.1
Black beer 27 mg −0.3
Dark beer (medium-gravity beer) top-fermented 27 mg −0.3
Stout 27 mg −0.3
Doppelbock beer (original wort min. 18 %) 27 mg −0.3
Pale export beer 26 mg −0.3
Wheat beer filtered 26 mg −0.2
Bock beer (original wort > 16 %) 25 mg −0.3

Source: Max Rubner-Institut (2025). Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel (BLS), version 4.0. German Nutrient Database. All values per 100 g of the edible portion. They do not replace medical or dietary advice.

Common questions about phosphorus

Which food has the most phosphorus?

Bran (up to 1,700 mg per 100 g), processed cheese (around 1,100 mg, mostly from emulsifying salts), hard cheese (600 to 900 mg), pumpkin and sunflower seeds (around 1,000 mg), soybeans and lentils (dry, 400 to 600 mg) and egg yolk (around 600 mg).

How much phosphorus do you need per day?

The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends 700 mg for adults. Because phosphorus is found in almost all protein-rich foods, intake in Germany almost always exceeds this value. A deficiency practically only occurs with serious illness.

Is too much phosphorus harmful?

If your kidneys are healthy, they excrete excess phosphorus. A consistently high intake from additives is suspected of putting strain on blood vessels and bones. If your kidney function is impaired, limiting phosphorus is part of the treatment. The added phosphates in processed foods are the critical part, not lentils or cheese as such.

Why does phosphorus make foods acid-forming?

Your metabolism turns phosphorus into phosphate, which has to be excreted as acid by the kidneys. That is why, in the PRAL model, every milligram of phosphorus counts +0.037 against a food's potassium, magnesium and calcium.

Does cola contain a lot of phosphorus?

Cola contains phosphoric acid (E 338), with about 15 to 20 mg of phosphorus per 100 ml. Per glass, that is not much. It becomes relevant if you drink several liters a day or have kidney disease, because added phosphorus is absorbed completely.

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