TilapiaFish
96
kcal / 100g
111
kcal / 1 fillet
3 things to watch for
Informational only, not medical advice. Always verify against the physical product label — data may be incomplete or out of date.
Allergens
This food directly contains the following allergen, declarable under EU Regulation 1169/2011 Annex II (the EU’s 14 major allergens) — not a “may contain” cross-contact warning.
Nutrition Facts (per 100g)
| Nutrient | Amount | %DV |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 96kcal | — |
| Protein | 20.08g | 40% |
| Total lipid (fat) | 1.7g | 2% |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.585g | 3% |
| Cholesterol | 50mg | 17% |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 0g | 0% |
| Fiber, total dietary | 0g | 0% |
| Total Sugars | 0g | — |
| Sodium, Na | 52mg | 2% |
Vitamins & Minerals
Potassium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system EU register →
Potassium contributes to normal muscle function EU register →
Potassium contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure EU register →
Phosphorus contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism EU register →
Phosphorus contributes to normal function of cell membranes EU register →
Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal bones EU register →
Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth EU register →
Selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis EU register →
Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal hair EU register →
Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal nails EU register →
Selenium contributes to the normal function of the immune system EU register →
Selenium contributes to the normal thyroid function EU register →
Selenium contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress EU register →
Vitamin D contributes to normal absorption/utilisation of calcium and phosphorus EU register →
Vitamin D contributes to normal blood calcium levels EU register →
Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones EU register →
Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal muscle function EU register →
Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth EU register →
Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system EU register →
Vitamin D has a role in the process of cell division EU register →
Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system in children. EU register →
Niacin contributes to normal psychological function EU register →
Niacin contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism EU register →
Niacin contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system EU register →
Niacin contributes to the maintenance of normal mucous membranes EU register →
Niacin contributes to the maintenance of normal skin EU register →
Niacin contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue EU register →
Vitamin B12 contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism EU register →
Vitamin B12 contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system EU register →
Vitamin B12 contributes to normal homocysteine metabolism EU register →
Vitamin B12 contributes to normal psychological function EU register →
Vitamin B12 contributes to normal red blood cell formation EU register →
Vitamin B12 contributes to the normal function of the immune system EU register →
Vitamin B12 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue EU register →
Vitamin B12 has a role in the process of cell division EU register →
Diet Compatibility
- VeganNo
No — Tilapia is not vegan.
Based on Open Food Facts ingredient analysis. How we set this
- VegetarianNo
No — Tilapia is not vegetarian.
Based on Open Food Facts ingredient analysis. How we set this
- Palm Oil FreeYes
Yes — Tilapia is palm oil free.
Based on Open Food Facts ingredient analysis. How we set this
- Gluten-FreeYes
Yes — Tilapia is gluten-free.
Based on the ingredient list and allergen data recorded in Open Food Facts. How we set this
- Dairy-FreeYes
Yes — Tilapia is dairy-free.
Based on the ingredient list and allergen data recorded in Open Food Facts. How we set this
- Nut-FreeYes
Yes — Tilapia is nut-free.
Based on the ingredient list and allergen data recorded in Open Food Facts (covers tree nuts and peanuts). How we set this
- Soy-FreeYes
Yes — Tilapia is soy-free.
Based on the ingredient list and allergen data recorded in Open Food Facts. How we set this
- Egg-FreeYes
Yes — Tilapia is egg-free.
Based on the ingredient list and allergen data recorded in Open Food Facts. How we set this
- KetoYes
Yes — Tilapia is keto-friendly (0 g net carbs per 100g, within the ≤10 g net carbs bar). (may not account for sugar alcohols; per-100g basis is a rougher heuristic than per-serving.)
≤5g net carbs per serving — our bar, not a regulatory standard. How we set this
- Low-CarbYes
Yes — Tilapia is low-carb (0 g net carbs per 100g, within the ≤15 g net carbs bar). (may not account for sugar alcohols.)
≤15g net carbs per serving — our bar, not a regulatory standard. How we set this
- Low-SugarYes
Yes — Tilapia is low in sugar (0 g sugar per 100g, within the ≤5 g sugar bar).
≤5g sugar per serving — our own criterion; the FDA defines none. How we set this
- High-ProteinYes
Yes — Tilapia is high in protein (20.08 g protein per 100g, meets the ≥10 g protein bar).
≥10g protein per serving — FDA 21 CFR 101.54 (≥20% DV). How we set this
- Low-FatYes
Yes — Tilapia is low-fat (1.7 g fat per 100g, within the ≤3 g fat bar).
≤3g fat per serving — FDA 21 CFR 101.62. How we set this
- Low-CalorieNo
No — Tilapia is not low-calorie (96 kcal per 100g, over the ≤40 kcal bar).
≤40 kcal per serving — FDA 21 CFR 101.60. How we set this
Read the sourced research
Fresh fish and seafood, including tilapia, are naturally gluten-free, per the NIDDK (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases). [7]
Breading, batter, or a sauce marinade like soy sauce or teriyaki can introduce gluten even though plain tilapia itself is gluten-free, per Beyond Celiac. Only assume a preparation is gluten-free if it's plain or simply seasoned. [8]
Raw tilapia has 0g carbohydrate per 100g, per USDA data, making it a straightforward protein source on a ketogenic diet. Overall keto-friendliness still depends on how it's breaded or sauced, though. [9]
Parvalbumin, the dominant fish allergen, drives cross-reactivity across species in roughly half of fish-allergic people. Case reports do document true single-species allergy to tilapia specifically, driven by other allergens, and a tilapia tropomyosin allergen shows 88% sequence homology to the human version. [10]
A 2025 clinical/molecular study ranked tilapia among the most allergenic fish tested, alongside catfish and grass carp. Specific IgE levels for tilapia were several-fold higher than for tuna, halibut, salmon, or cod in that testing. [11]
Health Benefits
A 2008 study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found farm-raised tilapia has very low omega-3 content and comparatively high long-chain omega-6 content. The researchers measured levels exceeding the omega-6 content of 80%-lean hamburger, doughnuts, and pork bacon. [1]
A follow-up academic review found the high omega-6-to-omega-3 ratio is a genuine but variable concern. Wild tilapia generally has more omega-3s than farmed tilapia, and farmed tilapia's fatty-acid mix can shift depending on what it's fed. [2]
Tilapia's total long-chain omega-3 content is only about 0.134g/100g, markedly lower than fattier fish species, per this 2013 review. Several large cohort studies tie higher fish consumption to reduced cardiovascular risk, though those studies weren't tilapia-specific. [3]
A 2026 review found antibiotic use in tilapia farming is linked to physiological toxicity in the fish, disruption of their microbiomes, and environmental contamination. [4]
A Ghana retail-market study detected oxytetracycline, tetracycline, amoxicillin, and erythromycin residues in most sampled tilapia, though all levels were below WHO safety limits. Because this reflects one regional study, the finding may not generalize to tilapia raised elsewhere or under different oversight. [5]
Storage & Buying Tips
Pick fillets with no discoloration, darkening, or drying at the edges, and a fresh, mild smell rather than a fishy, sour, or ammonia-like one, per FDA guidance. Never leave fresh tilapia out of the fridge for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's above 90°F). [6]
Frequently Asked Questions
Is tilapia a real fish?
Tilapia isn't some lab-engineered novelty — it's a real freshwater fish. The name covers several species in the cichlid family, most commonly Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).
People have farmed and eaten it since ancient Egyptian times, long before today's aquaculture industry existed. [12]
Is tilapia safe to eat during pregnancy?
Yes — tilapia sits on the "Best Choices" list in the FDA and EPA's joint seafood advisory, the same guidance Mayo Clinic points pregnant and breastfeeding people toward.
That advisory recommends 2-3 servings a week of fish like tilapia, as part of a broader 8-12 oz weekly total of low-mercury seafood. [13]
Can you eat tilapia raw, like sushi?
Not automatically — it comes down to how the specific fish was raised. FDA guidance notes that tilapia raised only on pelleted feed, true of most farmed tilapia, skips the parasite risk that comes from eating infected wild prey.
But farm-raised fish can still pick up parasites through the skin from certain freshwater organisms, and fish fed processing waste, fresh fish, or plankton carry more risk.
So raw tilapia's safety depends on confirming your specific supplier's farming and feeding practices, not on tilapia as a species. [14]
What are the mercury levels in farm-raised tilapia?
Very low. FDA's long-running mercury testing program sampled tilapia 32 times between 1991 and 2008 and found an average of just 0.013 ppm, topping out at 0.084 ppm.
That puts tilapia among the lowest-mercury seafood FDA has ever tested, in the same range as shrimp and scallops. [15]
Is tilapia bad for you compared to wild-caught fish?
Not clearly — the research here is genuinely mixed. A widely cited 2008 study flagged farmed tilapia's omega-6-heavy fat balance as a poor fit for people managing inflammatory conditions, and wild tilapia does generally test higher in omega-3s.
But a later academic review found farmed tilapia's fatty-acid profile swings a lot depending on feed and production setup, so it isn't uniformly worse across the board. [2]
Can people with a finned-fish allergy safely eat tilapia?
Don't assume it without testing first.
About half of people allergic to one fish species cross-react to others, through a shared protein called parvalbumin. But a 2025 study found tilapia itself, along with catfish and grass carp, ranked among the most allergenic fish tested.
Its IgE reactivity ran several times higher than tuna, halibut, salmon, or cod in that testing. Tilapia also carries its own distinct allergen, a tropomyosin protein found in tilapia-sensitized patients.
If you have a fish allergy, ask for testing against tilapia specifically rather than assuming it's a safer swap. [10]
Found in these products
None of the products in our database currently contain Tilapia.
Sources & Last Updated
Nutrition data: USDA FoodData Central, “Fish, tilapia, raw” (SR Legacy, fdcId 175176), updated 2026-08-27.
Research reviewed 2026-08-27.
- https://newsroom.wakehealth.edu/news-releases/2008/07/wake-forest-researchers-say-popular-fish-contains-potentially-dangerous-fatty-acid-combination
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19757249
- Raatz et al., Nutrients (2013-03-27)
- A review on antibiotic use in tilapia farming: Pharmacokinetics, impacts, and potential health risks (2026-06-30)
- Magna et al., Heliyon (2024-03-17)
- FDA — Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely
- NIDDK - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases — Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Celiac Disease (2025-10-07)
- Beyond Celiac — Is Meat Gluten-Free? | BeyondCeliac.org (2025-03-05)
- Fish, tilapia, raw - Nutrients - SR Legacy | USDA FoodData Central
- Kuehn et al., Frontiers in Immunology (2014-04-21)
- Wai et al., Allergy (2025-09-30)
- Tilapia - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
- FDA — Advice about Eating Fish
- Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance
- FDA — Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish (1990-2012)